“Tune Up” is credited to Miles Davis and was recorded by him in 1953, though it’s often attributed to Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson. It’s a classic practice tune because its harmony is a sequence of ii-V-I progressions descending by whole steps.
The tune is in D major. The changes are a ii-V-I in D (Em7, A7, Dmaj7), then in C (Dm7, G7, Cmaj7), then in Bb (Cm7, F7, Bbmaj7), followed by a ii-V back to D. It’s a clean, logical progression.
For improvisation, practice one ii-V-I phrase and move it down a whole step each time. Connect the keys with guide tones. This tune is ideal for building ii-V-I fluency.
Practice slowly, then increase tempo. Learn the melody by ear.
Section by section: the first four bars are a ii-V-I in D, the next four a ii-V-I in C, then the next four in Bb, followed by a ii-V back to D. Practice a single ii-V-I lick in all three keys and play it in sequence. Then connect the keys with guide tones: the seventh of each ii chord moving down to the third of the V. Miles Davis’s version on Cookin’ is relaxed and melodic, while Sonny Rollins’s versions are rhythmic and inventive.
Practice tip: once comfortable, practice the progression in all twelve keys, moving down a whole step each time. “Tune Up” is one of the best tunes for building the ii-V-I fluency that every jazz player needs.
Practice checklist for the Tune Up Lead Sheet PDF: play the melody from memory, play roots through the form, play guide tones, improvise one chorus of chord tones only, and finally record yourself soloing over a play-along. Listening back is the fastest way to spot what to fix next.
Is it hard to play? It’s intermediate and a perfect ii-V-I practice tune. Recordings to study: Miles Davis’s Cookin’ and Sonny Rollins’s versions. Learn more about the credited composer on Miles Davis’s Wikipedia page, and find more practice-friendly lead sheets on Minedit.