Where Should I Start?

36 Tunes You Can t Avoid Learning

I get this question a lot. Disclaimer I don t know thousands of tunes. But over th
e years I ve tried to learn most of the tunes that get called frequently on gigs a
nd sessions, added some that appear across multiple or important recordings, and
rounded it out with tunes that I just like. I ve been overwhelmed by long tune li
sts in the past, so started to make my own system to prioritize the tunes that a
re most important to learn. Here are 36 tunes that you just need to know if you
want to play jazz. They re not the 36 easiest, and there s no significance to 36 oth
er than that it seems like an approachable starting point.
Critical_Tunes

300 Tunes

Prioritized

Starting with the 36 critical tunes above, the below tune list and attached Exce
l workbook are the method I use to track my own progress as well as that of my s
tudents of tackling a list of 300 tunes I put together. Yes, I m a huge Excel geek
, but let s leave that alone for now. I honestly don t even know every one of these
tunes, but I d like to! I break my list into 4 sub-lists:
D-List: Don t Know
I don t know the tune
C-List: Familiar I might be able to get by playing the tune on a gig, but I ll rel
y heavily on my ear.
B-List: Proficient I know the tune pretty well, but I have to think a little bit
.
A-List: Mastered - I know it cold, it s a part of me.
As I learn a tune, it starts in D, then moves from C to B to A as grow more comf
ortable. Download the workbook, clear out the My List column, and fill it in for y
ourself to track your own progress.
Excel Workbook: Tune List TrackerTune Tracker

Note: Only edit the Tunes tab, and use it to keep track of your progress. The Filte
r List tab provides a summarized set of a specific attribute. For example, if you
want to find your A and B-list critical and high priority tunes, filter for My
List = A, B; Priority = 1 (Critical), 2 (High). Email me if you run into any iss
ues.
Here s a copy of the list for reference. Happy tune learning!
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Name
Type
Priority
All The Things You Are Standard
1 (Critical)
Anthropology
Rhythm Changes 1 (Critical)
Autumn Leaves Standard
1 (Critical)
Billie s Bounce Blues 1 (Critical)
Blue Bossa
Latin 1 (Critical)
Body and Soul Ballad 1 (Critical)
Cherokee
Standard
1 (Critical)
Donna Lee
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Four
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Giant Steps
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Green Dolphin Street
Standard
1 (Critical)
Groovin High Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Have You Met Miss Jones Standard
1 (Critical)
How High the Moon
Standard
1 (Critical)

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36

I Hear A Rhapsody
Standard
1 (Critical)
I Love You
Standard
1 (Critical)
I ll Remember April
Standard
1 (Critical)
Impressions
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Invitation
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
It Could Happen To You Standard
1 (Critical)
Just Friends
Standard
1 (Critical)
Lady Bird
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Mr PC Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Now s the Time Blues 1 (Critical)
Oleo
Rhythm Changes 1 (Critical)
Out of Nowhere Standard
1 (Critical)
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise Standard
1 (Critical)
Solar Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Stablemates
Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)
Stella by Starlight
Standard
1 (Critical)
Straight No Chaser
Blues 1 (Critical)
Summertime
Standard
1 (Critical)
Tenor Madness Blues 1 (Critical)
There is No Greater Love
Standard
1 (Critical)
There Will Never Be Another You Standard
1 (Critical)

What is this Thing Called Love

Standard
1 (Critical)
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63

Airegin Jazz Standard 2 (High)

All of Me
Standard
2 (High)
Alone Together Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Along Came Betty
Jazz Standard 2
Ask Me Now
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Au Privave
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Beatrice
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Blues for Alice Blues 2 (High)
Bolivia Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Bye Bye Blackbird
Standard
2
C Jam Clues
Blues 2 (High)
Caravan Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Confirmation
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Days of Wine and Roses Standard
2
Dolphin Dance Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Don t Get Around Much Anymore Standard
East of the Sun Standard
2 (High)
In a Sentimental Mood Ballad 2 (High)
In Your Own Sweet Way Standard
2
Inner Urge
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Isfahan Standard
2 (High)
Joy Spring
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Lazy Bird
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Like Someone in Love
Standard
2
Milestones (new)
Jazz Standard 2
Minority
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Moment s Notice Jazz Standard 2 (High)

(High)

(High)

(High)
2 (High)
(High)

(High)
(High)

64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88

Moonlight in Vermont
Ballad 2 (High)
My One and Only Love
Ballad 2 (High)
Nardis Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Nica s Dream
Latin 2 (High)
Night and Day Standard
2 (High)
One Finger Snap Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Pent-up House Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Recordame
Latin 2 (High)
Rhythm-a-Ning Rhythm Changes 2 (High)
Round Midnight Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Scrapple from the Apple Jazz Standard 2
Serenity
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Seven Steps to Heaven Jazz Standard 2
Soul Eyes
Ballad 2 (High)
Star Eyes
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Take the A Train
Jazz Standard 2
The Song is You Standard
2 (High)
The Theme
Rhythm Changes 2 (High)
This I Dig of You
Jazz Standard 2
Tune-Up Jazz Standard 2 (High)
UMMG
Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Without a Song Standard
2 (High)
Yardbird Suite Jazz Standard 2 (High)
Yes or No
Jazz Standard 2 (High)

(High)
(High)
(High)
(High)

You Stepped Out of a Dream

Standard
2 (High)
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112

26-2
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
A Night in Tunisia
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
All Blues
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
All of You
Standard
3 (Medium)
Angel Eyes
Standard
3 (Medium)
Autumn in New York
Standard
3 (Medium)
Beautiful Love Standard
3 (Medium)
Bemsha Swing
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Black Narcissus Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Black Nile
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Black Orpheus Latin 3 (Medium)
Blue Monk
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
But Beautiful Standard
3 (Medium)
But Not for Me Standard
3 (Medium)
Ceora Latin 3 (Medium)
Cheryl Blues 3 (Medium)
Come Rain or Come Shine Standard
3 (Medium)
Con Alma
Latin 3 (Medium)
Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
Latin 3 (Medium)
Countdown
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Criss Cross
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Daahound
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Desafinado
Latin 3 (Medium)
Doxy
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)

113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172

Easy to Love
Standard
3 (Medium)
Embraceable You Ballad 3 (Medium)
Epistrophy
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Equinox Blues 3 (Medium)
ESP
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Everything Happens to Me
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Evidence
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Falling Grace Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Footprints
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
For All We Know Ballad 3 (Medium)
Four In One
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Freddie Freeloader
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Freedom Jazz Dance
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Good Bait
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Goodbye Pork Pie
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Green Chimneys Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Half Nelson
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Hot House
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
How Deep is the Ocean Standard
3 (Medium)
I Can t Get Started
Ballad 3 (Medium)
I Could Write a Book
Standard
3 (Medium)
I Got Rhythm
Standard
3 (Medium)
I Mean You
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
I Remember Clifford
Ballad 3 (Medium)
I Remember You Standard
3 (Medium)
I Should Care Standard
3 (Medium)
I Thought about You
Ballad 3 (Medium)
If I Were a Bell
Standard
3 (Medium)
In Walked Bud Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Indiana Standard
3 (Medium)
Infant Eyes
Standard
3 (Medium)
Isotope Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
It I Should Lose You
Standard
3 (Medium)
It s You or No One
Standard
3 (Medium)
Jordu Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Just in Time
Standard
3 (Medium)
Just One of those Things
Standard
3 (Medium)
Killer Joe
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Laura Ballad 3 (Medium)
Let s Cool One Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Little Sunflower
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Love for Sale Standard
3 (Medium)
Lullaby of Birdland
Standard
3 (Medium)
Lush Life
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Maiden Voyage Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Milestones (Miles)
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Misty Ballad 3 (Medium)
Monk s Dream
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Monk s Mood
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
My Foolish Heart
Ballad 3 (Medium)
My Funny Valentine
Ballad 3 (Medium)
My Shining Hour Standard
3 (Medium)
My Ship Ballad 3 (Medium)
Nefertiti
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Night Dreamer Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Old Folks
Ballad 3 (Medium)
One Note Samba Latin 3 (Medium)
Ornithology
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Peace Ballad 3 (Medium)

173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214

Pensativa
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Perdido Standard
3 (Medium)
Polka dots and Moonbeams
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Prelude to a Kiss
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Ruby My Dear
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Salt Peanuts
Rhythm Changes 3 (Medium)
Sandu Blues 3 (Medium)
Satin Doll
Standard
3 (Medium)
Secret Love
Standard
3 (Medium)
Skylark Ballad 3 (Medium)
So What Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Someday my Prince will Come
Standard
3 (Medium)
Song For My Father
Latin 3 (Medium)
Sonnymoon for Two
Blues 3 (Medium)
Speak Low
Standard
3 (Medium)
Speak No Evil Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
St. Thomas
Latin 3 (Medium)
Steeplechase
Rhythm Changes 3 (Medium)
Stompin at the Savoy Standard
3 (Medium)
Sweet Georgia Brown
Standard
3 (Medium)
Tenderly
Standard
3 (Medium)
The Girl From Ipanema Latin 3 (Medium)
The Jitterbug Waltz
Standard
3 (Medium)
The Night Has 1000 Eyes Standard
3 (Medium)
The Shadow of your Smile
Latin 3 (Medium)
The Way you Look Tonight
Standard
3 (Medium)
These Foolish Things
Standard
3 (Medium)
Think of One
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Up Jumped Spring
Standard
3 (Medium)
Walkin Blues 3 (Medium)
Watermelon Man Funk
3 (Medium)
Wave
Latin 3 (Medium)
Well, you Needn t
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
What s New?
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Whisper Not
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Wild Flower
Ballad 3 (Medium)
Windows Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Witch Hunt
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Witchcraft
Standard
3 (Medium)
Woody n You
Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)
Yesterdays
Ballad 3 (Medium)

You Don t Know What Love Is

Ballad
3 (Medium)
215
216
217
218
219
220
221

A Child is Born Standard

4 (Low)
A Day in the Life of a Fool
Standard
4 (Low)
Afternoon in Paris
Standard
4 (Low)
Ah-Leu-Cha
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Alice in Wonderland
Standard
4 (Low)
All God s Chillun
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
April in Paris Standard
4 (Low)

222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281

Bag s Groove
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Bernie s Tune Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Bessie s Blues Blues 4 (Low)
Blue in Green Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Bluesette
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Chelsea Bridge Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Conception
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Cousin Mary
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
CTA
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Dearly Beloved Ballad 4 (Low)
Dig
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Don t Blame Me Ballad 4 (Low)
Easy Living
Ballad 4 (Low)
El Gaucho
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Emily Ballad 4 (Low)
End of a Love Affair
Standard
4 (Low)
Georgia On My Mind
Standard
4 (Low)
Gone with the Wind
Standard
4 (Low)
Hackensack
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Here s That Rainy Day Standard
4 (Low)
Hi-Fly Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
How Insensitive Latin 4 (Low)
I Didn t Know What Time it Was Standard
4
I Fall in Love too Easily
Ballad 4 (Low)
I Got it Bad and that ain t Good
Standard
I Want to Talk about You
Ballad 4 (Low)
I ll Take Romance
Standard
4 (Low)
I m Old Fashioned
Ballad 4 (Low)
I ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face
Ballad 4
If You Could See Me Now Ballad 4 (Low)
In A Mellowtone Standard
4 (Low)
Israel Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
It Don t Mean a Thing Standard
4 (Low)
It Might As Well Be Spring
Standard
4
It s All Right with Me Standard
4 (Low)
Joshua Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Juju
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Lament Ballad 4 (Low)
Lester Leaps In Rhythm Changes 4 (Low)
Litha Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Long Ago and Far Away Standard
4 (Low)
Love Walked In Standard
4 (Low)
Lover Standard
4 (Low)
Lover Come Back to Me Standard
4 (Low)
Loverman
Ballad 4 (Low)
Mack the Knife Standard
4 (Low)
Mahjong Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Manteca Latin 4 (Low)
Meditation
Latin 4 (Low)
Misterioso
Blues 4 (Low)
Monk s Mood
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Mr Clean
Funk
4 (Low)
My Romance
Standard
4 (Low)
Naima Ballad 4 (Low)
On the Sunny Side of the Street Standard
4
Once I Loved
Latin 4 (Low)
Our Delight
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
Our Love is Here to Stay
Standard
4
Over the Rainbow
Standard
4 (Low)
Passion Dance Jazz Standard 4 (Low)

(Low)
4 (Low)

(Low)

(Low)

(Low)
(Low)

282
Satellite
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
283
Smoke Gets in your Eyes Ballad 4 (Low)
284
Some Other Blues
Blues 4 (Low)
285
Someone to Watch Over Me
Ballad 4 (Low)
286
Sophisticated Lady
Ballad 4 (Low)
287
Spring Can Really Hang You Up Ballad 4 (Low)
288
Spring is Here Standard
4 (Low)
289
Stardust
Standard
4 (Low)
290
Sugar Blues 4 (Low)
291
Tangerine
Standard
4 (Low)
292
The Duke
Standard
4 (Low)
293
Things ain t what they used to Be
Blues 4 (Low)
294
Triste Latin 4 (Low)
295
Unit Seven
Blues 4 (Low)
296
Valse Hot
Jazz Standard 4 (Low)
297
When I Fall in Love
Ballad 4 (Low)
298
When Lights are Low
Ballad 4 (Low)
299
When Sunny Gets Blue
Ballad 4 (Low)
300
You re a Weaver of Dreams
Standard
4 (Low)
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