"Learning tunes and playing sessions made sense to me because Jazz is collective music by nature, so the bigger my repertoire, the more chances I would have to connect with other musicians."
Jazz standards are the foundation—the very DNA—of this music. Every jazz musician needs to know them. There’s no shortcut, no substitute (and no, endlessly reading from the Real Book doesn’t count!). The answers to almost every question you have about jazz are hidden in these tunes.
👉 Discover my step-by-step method for learning a standard
To truly “know” a standard means you can:
🎶 Play the melody and chords by memory
🎶 Play it on your main instrument and on the piano
🎶 Transpose it into different keys (ideally all 12!)
👉 Learn to transpose standards easily and efficiently
And no—you don’t need to sound like Erroll Garner at the piano! Simple two-note voicings in the right hand with bass notes in the left are enough. This practice alone will strengthen your ears and deepen your understanding of harmony and voice leading.
But learning a standard isn’t just about notes—it’s also about history. Explore classic recordings, and especially vocal versions, to hear how the masters shaped these songs. For example, if you’re learning Autumn Leaves (did you know it’s originally French?), here’s a playlist I recommend:
Working on Blue Bossa? Start with Kenny Dorham’s version. Studying Inner Urge? Go straight to Joe Henderson’s original. The more versions you listen to, the more you’ll hear differences in harmony, form, and phrasing—and the more complete your understanding will be.
👉 Learn how to listen actively and grow as a musician
To help you organize your repertoire, I’ve created a powerful resource: a spreadsheet with multiple standards lists—including A–Z, “must-know,” by composer, by style, the Juilliard audition list, and even Keith Jarrett’s recordings list.
👉 Get the ultimate standards list here
⚠️ Try to avoid relying on lead sheets. They’re useful at first, but if you always need the paper, you’ll never truly own the tune.
Yes, the sheer number of standards can feel overwhelming. But remember: you don’t need them all (I certainly don’t!). What matters is quality over quantity. Standards are called “standards” for a reason—they use familiar forms and progressions. Once you know a couple dozen, you’ll start recognizing the patterns in almost every tune you encounter.
I hope you’ll enjoy this tool and find it useful. Let me know in the comments what you think—and feel free to share it with any friends who are serious about learning jazz!
