Characteristics, harmonic analysis and examples
Updated 2025
The 16 bar jazz form has four four-bar phrases, the first is an exposition phrase, the second, a repetition phrase, the third one a contrast phrase, normally in a different key, and the last one, a conclusive phrase.
Jazz Standards with a 16 Bar Form
Blue Bossa (Kenny Dorham)
Four (Miles Davis)
Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron)
Pent Up House (Sonny Rollins)
Stolen Moments (Oliver Nelson)
Sugar (Stanley Turrentine)
St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
Summertime (George Gershwin)
Sunny (Bobby Hebb)
Tune Up (Miles Davis)
When The Saints Go Marching In (Traditional)
16 Bar Form: Harmonic Paradigm
Sunny (Bobby Hebb)
Tune Up (Miles Davis)
Tune Up has an A16-B16 form, with three major II-V-I progressions: Dmaj7 – Cmaj7 – Bbmaj7.
Introduction to the Study of the II-V-I Progression
St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
10 Jazz Standards for Beginners
16 Bar Form: examples
Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) has an 8 bar shout chorus, the drums complete the 16 bar form with 8 bars.
Four (Miles Davis).
Pent Up House (Sonny Rollins).
When The Saints Go Marching In (traditional).
Sugar (Stanley Turrentine).
Stolen Moments (Oliver Nelson) is a 16 bar minor blues in C. Solos over the 12 bar minor blues in C.
- “Twisted Blues” (Wes Montgomery)
- “The Chicken” (Alfred James Ellis)
- “Mack The Knife” (Brecht-Weill)
- “The Preacher” (Horace Silver)
- “Idle Moments” (Grant Green)
- “Shirley” (Stanley Turrentine)
- “Limbo Jazz” (Duke Ellington)
- “Twisted Blues” (Wes Montgomery)
- “The Jive Samba” (Nat Adderley)
- “Funkallero” (Bill Evans)
- “Bye Bye Blues” (Fred Hamm)
- “Nuages” (Django Reinhardt)
- “Lament” (J.J. Johnson)
- “Giant Steps” (John Coltrane)
- “Stolen Moments” (Oliver Nelson)
- “Minority” (Gigi Gryce)
- “Unisphere” (Dave Brubeck)
- “Witch Hunt” (Wayne Shorter)
- “Charlie Brown Theme” (Vince Guaraldi)
- “Sugar” (Stanley Turrentine)
- “502 Blues” (Wayne Shorter)
- “Countdown” (John Coltrane)
- “Bemsha Swing” (Thelonious Monk)
- “Cute” (Neil Hefty)
16 Bar Form with an 8 Bar Bridge
Jingles (Wes Montgomery) has an A16-A16-B8-A16 bar form.
16 Bar Form with a 16 Bar Bridge
Del Sasser (Sam Jones) has an A16-A16-B16-A16 bar form.
16 Bar Form: Play-A-Longs
Jamey Aebersold. St. Thomas. Volume 8 and 74.
Jamey Aebersold. Tune Up. Vol. 7 and 65.
Jamey Aebersold. Blue Bossa. Vol. 54.
Hal Leonard. Sunny. Vol. 76.
Hal Leonard. Summertime. Vol. 45 and 160.
Jazz Play-A-Longs
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