Coltrane changes · A major
This is the major-third cycle: three tonics a major third apart, each approached by its own V7, resolving home in four bars — in A, the chords are A△7 – C7 – F△7 – G♯7 – C♯△7 – E7. From A the cycle drops a major third twice: A△7 → F△7 → C♯△7 → A△7, each tonic approached by its own dominant (C7, G♯7, E7). Every chord lasts two beats, so at tempo the ear hears three key centres inside four bars.
The form
Three-tonic cycle (4 bars)
Generic form in Roman numerals — the harmonic skeleton, not any particular tune. Two chords in a bar are two beats each.
Interactive trainer
Piano · A△7 with Major (Ionian)
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano · C7 with Mixolydian
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano · F△7 with Major (Ionian)
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano · G♯7 with Mixolydian
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano · C♯△7 with Major (Ionian)
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano · E7 with Mixolydian
Guitar · standard tuning
Click any chord card to see its scale, and tap any key or fret to hear that note. Turn on “+ Arpeggios” or “+ Scales” and the guitar or piano plays the line live over the vamp, lighting each note on the diagram as it sounds. All audio is synthesized in your browser — nothing is recorded or copyrighted.
Reference
| Function | Chord | Chord tones (1–3–5–7) | Chord-scale | Scale notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I△ | A△7 | A – C♯ – E – G♯ | Major (Ionian) | A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ |
| ♭III⁷ | C7 | C – E – G – B♭ | Mixolydian | C D E F G A B♭ |
| ♭VI△ | F△7 | F – A – C – E | Major (Ionian) | F G A B♭ C D E |
| VII⁷ | G♯7 | G♯ – C – D♯ – F♯ | Mixolydian | G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ |
| III△ | C♯△7 | C♯ – F – G♯ – C | Major (Ionian) | C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ |
| V⁷ | E7 | E – G♯ – B – D | Mixolydian | E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D |
| Guide tones | A△7 | C7 | F△7 | G♯7 | C♯△7 | E7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | C♯ | E | A | C | F | G♯ |
| 7th | G♯ | B♭ | E | F♯ | C | D |
How to practise this
1. Arpeggios in time. Loop the vamp at 70–90 bpm and play A△7, C7, F△7, G♯7, C♯△7, E7 as 1–3–5–7 quarter notes, one chord per bar. Use the “+ Arpeggios” loop above to hear it played and copy the line.
2. Guide tones. Play only the 3rd and 7th of each chord: C♯–G♯ → E–B♭ → A–E → C–F♯ → F–C → G♯–D. Notice that D, the 7th of E7, falls a half-step to C♯, the 3rd of A△7 — that is the resolution.
3. Chord-scales. Run Major (Ionian) on A△7, Mixolydian on C7, Major (Ionian) on F△7, Mixolydian on G♯7, Major (Ionian) on C♯△7, Mixolydian on E7, then improvise keeping chord tones on beats 1 and 3.
4. Move it. When A is clean, go to D major — a fourth up — and keep going around the circle.
Common questions
A△7 – C7 – F△7 – G♯7 – C♯△7 – E7. The I chord is A△7 (A, C♯, E, G♯); The ♭III7 chord is C7 (C, E, G, B♭); The ♭VI chord is F△7 (F, A, C, E); The VII7 chord is G♯7 (G♯, C, D♯, F♯); The III chord is C♯△7 (C♯, F, G♯, C); The V chord is E7 (E, G♯, B, D).
A△7: Major (Ionian) (A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯). C7: Mixolydian (C D E F G A B♭). F△7: Major (Ionian) (F G A B♭ C D E). G♯7: Mixolydian (G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯). C♯△7: Major (Ionian) (C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯). E7: Mixolydian (E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D).
The thirds and sevenths: C♯ and G♯ over A△7, E and B♭ over C7, A and E over F△7, C and F♯ over G♯7, F and C over C♯△7, G♯ and D over E7. Each voice moves by a half-step or stays put — that is what makes the progression sound like it resolves.
Loop the vamp at a slow tempo, play each arpeggio 1–3–5–7 in time, then play each chord-scale up and down, then improvise using only chord tones on the strong beats. When it is clean, move to the next key around the circle of fourths.
All twelve keys
Related in A: ii–V–I · turnaround · jazz blues · rhythm changes. Read the theory in Chord-scale theory, or see the scales on their own pages: A Major, C Mixolydian, F Major, G♯ Mixolydian, C♯ Major, E Mixolydian.