Few tunes in modern jazz have achieved the reach and staying power of Spain — it has been covered hundreds of times in styles ranging from Latin to rock fusion, yet it never sounds tired. Before diving into the analysis, this introduction gives you the context you need to appreciate why the tune is worth your time and what this course will cover.
What you’ll get out of this lesson
A clear picture of Spain’s origins, its place in the jazz repertoire, and the stylistic range it spans — giving you a foundation that will make the harmonic and improvisational analysis that follows far more meaningful.
The Origins of Spain
“Spain” is a tune composed by Chick Corea that was originally released on the 1971 album Light As A Feather by Chick’s band Return To Forever. This recording and arrangement is the most widely known — check it out here:
A Modern Jazz Standard
Since its initial release, Spain has become one of the most recently composed tunes to be considered a jazz standard. That status means it appears at jazz jams and in working bands regularly, making it genuinely useful to have in your repertoire. Its harmonic richness also rewards the kind of careful study this course provides.
The Range of Interpretations
Spain has been covered countless times and can most often be heard in its original Latin style groove, or in a more modern rock/fusion approach. The flexibility of the tune is part of what makes it so enduring. Here is an example of the fusion approach:
What This Course Covers
In this course we are going to look at the changes for the solo sections of the tune, scale choices, and some essential exercises to help you improvise over it. Work through each lesson in sequence for the fullest understanding.
Taking it further
Before moving into the analysis lessons, spend some time listening to as many versions of Spain as you can find. The essential listening lesson in this course provides a curated starting point, but following your own curiosity is equally valuable.
Your homework
Listen to the Return To Forever recording of Spain at least twice this week — once while doing something else, and once with your full attention. On the second listen, try to follow the form and notice where the main melodic themes return. Familiarity with the tune is the single most important preparation for everything that follows in this course.