Just Friends - A Harmonic Guide


 

Analyzing the Harmony of Just Friends

"Just Friends," composed by John Klenner with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis, was released in 1931. While initially a popular song, it quickly became a cornerstone of the jazz repertoire. Many notable artists have recorded this tune, including Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Stan Getz, each bringing their unique voice to its intricate harmony. Let's analyze the song.


Chord Chart:

A - |CMaj7|%| Cm7| F7| GMaj7|%| Bbm7| Eb7| 

B - |Am7| D7| GMaj7| Em7| A7|%| Am7 D7| Dm7 G7| 

A - |CMaj7|%| Cm7| F7| GMaj7|%| Bbm7| Eb7| 

C - |Am7| D7| F#m7b5 B7b9| Em7| A7| Am7 D7| GMaj7|%|



A Section - Bars 1-8: | CMaj7 | % | Cm7 | F7 | GMaj7 | % | Bbm7 | Eb7 |

  • Bars 1-2: CMaj7 (IV Chord) The section opens with CMaj7, which functions as the IV Major 7 chord in G major.

  • Bars 3-4: Cm7 - F7 (Backdoor Progression) Following the CMaj7, we encounter Cm7 and F7. This is a ivm7 - bVII7 progression in G major, commonly known as a backdoor dominant approach.

  • Bars 5-6: GMaj7 (I Chord) We then resolve to GMaj7, which is the I Major 7 chord, the tonic of G major.

  • Bars 7-8: Bbm7 - Eb7 (Chromatic Anticipation) From GMaj7, the progression moves to Bbm7 and Eb7. This biiim7 - bVI7 (or ii-V of Ab) pair functions as a chromatic anticipation. It sits a half-step above the Am7 - D7 (ii-V of G) that begins the next section, preparing that transition.


B Section - Bars 9-16: |Am7| D7| GMaj7| Em7| A7|%| Am7 D7| Dm7 G7|

  • Bars 9-12: Progression in G Major This segment presents Am7 - D7 - GMaj7 - Em7. This is a iim7 - V7 - IMaj7 - vim7 progression in G major.

  • Bars 13-14: A7 as ii Dominant A7 holds for two bars, functioning as a ii Dominant of G Major. It normally would lead to D minor (as a secondary dominant, V/ii).

  • Bars 15-16: Two-Bar ii-V Turnaround Instead of leading to D minor, this segment features a two-bar turnaround with a series of ii-V progressions: Am7 - D7 (based in G Major) followed by Dm7 - G7, which resolves to CMajor, the IV chord of G Major and first chord of the song.


Bars 17-24: Repeat of the A Section This eight-bar segment is a direct repeat of the tune's opening A section (Bars 1-8).


C Section - Bars 25-32: |Am7| D7| F#m7b5 B7b9| Em7| A7| Am7 D7| GMaj7|%|

  • Bars 25-26: ii-V in G Major This segment opens with Am7 - D7, a iim7 - V7 progression in G major.

  • Bars 27-28: Minor ii-V-i in Em F#m7b5 - B7b9 - Em7 is a minor ii-V-i progression in E minor, the relative minor of G Major.

  • Bars 29-30: vi - II7 - ii - V Pattern Following the Em7 (vi chord) from the previous bar, A7 (a II7 dominant) sets up a common jazz progression. It leads into Am7 - D7, a iim7 - V7 in G major. This creates a recognizable vi - II7 - ii - V motion in G, which is a key pattern for improvisation.

  • Bars 31-32: Resolution to Tonic The section concludes by resolving to GMaj7, the IMaj7 chord, for the final cadence.


A Note on Interpretation

I hope you found my analysis helpful. Keep in mind that in jazz, tunes like this are often interpreted in many ways; the chords presented here represent a common and widely used set of changes, not the only possible arrangement.



🎸 Ready to learn guitar with more clarity and less noise?
I teach personalised lessons that turn confusing theory into music you can actually play.
👉 Book a free clarity session to see how it works.

📩 Like what you read?
Click here to subscribe and get every new post by email.
No spam. Just useful guitar insights delivered from The Guitarbaba Blog.

🔗 Want to connect or explore more?
Visit my links page for social media, tab downloads, gear info, and other useful stuff.

Comments

Post a Comment