"Nearness Of You" A Section Beginner Chords
In this lesson, we begin our study of “The Nearness of You,” a beautiful jazz ballad written in the key of F major.
The tune follows an A-A-B-C form and contains 36 bars. We start by focusing on the first eight-bar A section and applying the theory from our previous lesson on diatonic 7th chords in F major.
The goal is to understand how the chords relate to the key, recognize common jazz progressions, and then turn the basic 7th chords into balanced two-handed voicings that work with the melody.
What You’ll Learn In This Lesson
In this beginner jazz piano lesson, you’ll learn:
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How to analyze the A section of “The Nearness of You”
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How to recognize a 2-5-1 progression into the IV chord
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How to identify the repeating 3-6-2-5 progression
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How diatonic and non-diatonic chords function within the key of F major
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How to use numeric harmony to understand chord progressions
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How to spread 7th chords across both hands
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How the 3rds and 7ths create smooth voice leading
- How to adapt a voicing when the melody creates a clash with the underlying chord
Understanding The Form
“The Nearness of You” follows an A-A-B-C form. The A section contains eight bars and repeats twice. This is followed by an eight-bar B section and a final C section with a four-bar extension.
This gives the tune a total of 36 bars, rather than the 32-bar form commonly found in jazz standards.
Start With The Chord Progression
Before adding the melody, isolate the 7th chords and play through the harmony on its own. The A section begins with Fmaj7 which is the 1 chord in the key of F major.
We then have Cm7 → F7 → B♭maj7 whic is a 2-5-1 progression in B♭ major.
Because B♭maj7 is the 4 chord of F major, we can also think of this as a 2-5-1 into the IV chord.
Learning to recognize these progressions as complete harmonic units is much more useful than memorizing each chord individually.
Look For 2-5-1 Progressions
Whenever you find a 2-5-1 progression, annotate it on your lead sheet.
For example:
Cm7 → F7 → B♭maj7
2 → 5 → 1
Writing these numbers above the chords helps train your eye to recognize common harmonic patterns.
As you study more jazz standards, you will begin to see the same progressions appearing again and again in different keys.
Major To Diminished Movement
After B♭maj7, the harmony moves to:
B♭dim7 → Am7
Notice that the root remains on B♭ while the other notes of the chord move.
The diminished chord then resolves smoothly down into Am7.
Listen carefully to:
B♭maj7 → B♭dim7 → Am7
This creates smooth chromatic movement and is a useful example of how diminished chords can connect neighboring harmonies.
The 3-6-2-5-1 Progression
The second half of the A section contains one of the most important progressions to recognize:
Am7 → D7 → Gm7 → C7 → Fmaj7
Numerically, this is:
3 → 6 → 2 → 5 → 1
The 3-6-2-5 progression repeats, before finally resolving back to the 1 chord at the beginning of the second A section.
Thinking of these chords numerically makes the progression much easier to understand and remember.
Spread The Chords Across Two Hands
Playing every 7th chord in root position can sound blocky and unbalanced, and the chord tones can also interfere with the melody.
Instead, we can distribute the notes between both hands.
A useful starting point is:
Left hand: Root + 5th
Right hand: 3rd + 7th + Melody
The exact configuration will change depending on the melody. If a chord tone is already present in the melody, we can often omit or move that note elsewhere in the voicing.
The goal is to create a balanced sound rather than rigidly playing every chord in the same shape.
Let The Melody Guide The Voicing
The melody often tells us how the chord should be arranged.
For example, if the melody already contains the 3rd or 5th of the chord, we may not need to duplicate that note underneath.
Sometimes the melody can also clash with a chord tone.
Over F7, the melody contains the 4th, which clashes with the 3rd of the chord.
Instead of forcing the 3rd into the voicing, we can replace it with the 4th and create an F7sus sound.
This is an important principle:
The melody and harmony must work together when choosing a chord voicing.
Follow The 7ths Into The 3rds
One of the most important voice-leading movements in jazz harmony is the 7th falling by a half step to become the 3rd of the next chord.
You can hear this clearly in 2-5-1 and 3-6-2-5 progressions.
Instead of thinking of every chord as a completely new hand position, look for these small movements between important chord tones.
This creates smoother transitions and makes the progression easier to visualize and play.
Diatonic & Non-Diatonic Harmony
Most of the chords in the progression relate directly to the key of F major, but not every chord is strictly diatonic.
For example:
Cm7 → F7
does not come directly from the F major scale.
Instead, these chords temporarily point towards B♭maj7, the 4 chord of F major.
One useful way to visualize this is to imagine the diatonic chords as the main planets in the key, while temporary 2-5 progressions act like ‘moons’ orbiting around them.
The more standards you study, the easier it becomes to recognize these relationships.
Practice Tips
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Play the chords without the melody first. Make sure you understand the progression before adding the extra challenge of the melody.
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Write the numbers on your lead sheet. Label the 2-5-1 and 3-6-2-5 movements so that you begin recognizing these harmonic patterns visually.
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Practice the 3-6-2-5-1 drill separately. Play Am7 → D7 → Gm7 → C7 → Fmaj7 until the movement begins to feel familiar.
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Look for 7ths falling to 3rds. Focus on the smallest movements between chord tones instead of treating every chord as an unrelated shape.
- Practice the voicings slowly and in control. Work through each chord individually, check how it interacts with the melody, and only increase the tempo once the movements feel comfortable.
