“Doxy” is a Sonny Rollins composition first recorded in 1954 with Miles Davis on the album Bags’ Groove. It’s a relaxed, bluesy 16-bar tune, and it’s one of the most popular choices for beginning jazz improvisers.
The tune is in Bb. The changes are Bb7, Ab7, G7, C7, F7, Bb7, then Eb7, Edim7, back to Bb, and a turnaround. The dominant chords move in a friendly, bluesy way, and the melody is a simple, swinging riff that’s easy to remember.
For improvisation, the Bb blues scale works over much of the tune, but target each dominant chord’s third to outline the changes: D over Bb7, C over Ab7, B over G7, E over C7. Mixing blues phrases with chord tones creates a strong, soulful solo.
Practice with a medium swing play-along. Learn the melody by ear from Miles Davis’s recording. It’s a great tune for practicing trading fours.
Section by section: in the first bars, outline the descending dominant chords (Bb7, Ab7, G7, C7) by targeting each third: D, C, B, E. In the middle section, the harmony moves to Eb7 and a diminished chord; play G and then E natural to outline them. In the last bars, use a turnaround lick to lead back to the top.
Practice tip: play only the thirds of each chord as whole notes through the form, then turn them into a melody. This simple exercise makes your solo outline the changes clearly.
Using the Doxy Lead Sheet PDF on gigs: keep a concert-pitch copy and a copy in your instrument’s key, label the intro and ending on the page, and note the tempo and feel the band usually plays. Small notes like these keep you calm when a tune gets called on the spot.
Is it hard to play? It’s beginner-friendly. Recordings to study: Miles Davis’s Bags’ Groove and Rollins’s later versions. Learn more about the composer on Sonny Rollins’s Wikipedia page, and find more beginner jazz lead sheets on Minedit.