Nanopublication — Rhythm Changes in Bb Major as Harmonic Source

Context

Rhythm changes — the chord progression derived from George Gershwin [3]'s "I Got Rhythm" — constitute one of the most fundamental harmonic frameworks in jazz. In the key of Bb Major, this progression underpins countless jazz standards and serves as a primary vehicle for improvisation. The A section follows the cadential movement Bb Maj – G min – C min – F7 – D min – G7 – C min – F7 – Bb Maj, a cycle of tension and resolution that keeps returning to the tonic.

My engagement with this progression comes through piano practice — working voicings, feeling the cadential pull, navigating the balance between rhythmic drive and harmonic beauty. There is a particular tension in rhythm changes between the forward momentum of swing at tempo and the elegance of the chord movement underneath. This painting emerges from that tension: the large color fields carry the broad harmonic sweep while the geometric forms in the central corridor capture the articulated movement between chords.

The AABA form itself structures the harmonic experience. The A sections establish and reinforce Bb Major as tonal center, while the bridge departs into a cycle of dominant sevenths that creates both contrast and anticipation of return. This work captures the A section's character — the warmth and familiarity of home key, the gentle gravitational pull of the cadence cycling through related chords and resolving back to Bb.