Where Should I Start? 36 Tunes You Cant Avoid LearningI get this question a lot. Disclaimer I dont know thousands of tunes. But over the years Ive tried to learn most of the tunes that get called frequently on gigs and sessions, added some that appear across multiple or important recordings, and rounded it out with tunes that I just like. Ive been overwhelmed by long tune lists in the past, so started to make my own system to prioritize the tunes that are most important to learn. Here are 36 tunes that you just need to know if you want to play jazz. Theyre not the 36 easiest, and theres no significance to 36 other than that it seems like an approachable starting point.Critical_Tunes 300 Tunes PrioritizedStarting with the 36 critical tunes above, the below tune list and attached Excel workbook are the method I use to track my own progress as well as that of my students of tackling a list of 300 tunes I put together. Yes, Im a huge Excel geek, but lets leave that alone for now. I honestly dont even know every one of these tunes, but Id like to! I break my list into 4 sub-lists:D-List: Dont Know I dont know the tuneC-List: Familiar I might be able to get by playing the tune on a gig, but Ill rely heavily on my ear.B-List: Proficient I know the tune pretty well, but I have to think a little bit.A-List: Mastered - I know it cold, its a part of me.As I learn a tune, it starts in D, then moves from C to B to A as grow more comfortable. Download the workbook, clear out the My List column, and fill it in for yourself to track your own progress.Excel Workbook: Tune List TrackerTune Tracker Note: Only edit the Tunes tab, and use it to keep track of your progress. The Filter List tab provides a summarized set of a specific attribute. For example, if you want to find your A and B-list critical and high priority tunes, filter for My List = A, B; Priority = 1 (Critical), 2 (High). Email me if you run into any issues.Heres a copy of the list for reference. Happy tune learning!# Name Type Priority1 All The Things You Are Standard 1 (Critical)2 Anthropology Rhythm Changes 1 (Critical)3 Autumn Leaves Standard 1 (Critical)4 Billies Bounce Blues 1 (Critical)5 Blue Bossa Latin 1 (Critical)6 Body and Soul Ballad 1 (Critical)7 Cherokee Standard 1 (Critical)8 Donna Lee Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)9 Four Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)10 Giant Steps Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)11 Green Dolphin Street Standard 1 (Critical)12 Groovin High Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)13 Have You Met Miss Jones Standard 1 (Critical)14 How High the Moon Standard 1 (Critical)15 I Hear A Rhapsody Standard 1 (Critical)16 I Love You Standard 1 (Critical)17 Ill Remember April Standard 1 (Critical)18 Impressions Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)19 Invitation Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)20 It Could Happen To You Standard 1 (Critical)21 Just Friends Standard 1 (Critical)22 Lady Bird Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)23 Mr PC Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)24 Nows the Time Blues 1 (Critical)25 Oleo Rhythm Changes 1 (Critical)26 Out of Nowhere Standard 1 (Critical)27 Softly as in a Morning Sunrise Standard 1 (Critical)28 Solar Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)29 Stablemates Jazz Standard 1 (Critical)30 Stella by Starlight Standard 1 (Critical)31 Straight No Chaser Blues 1 (Critical)32 Summertime Standard 1 (Critical)33 Tenor Madness Blues 1 (Critical)34 There is No Greater Love Standard 1 (Critical)35 There Will Never Be Another You Standard 1 (Critical)36 What is this Thing Called Love Standard 1 (Critical) 37 Airegin Jazz Standard 2 (High)38 All of Me Standard 2 (High)39 Alone Together Jazz Standard 2 (High)40 Along Came Betty Jazz Standard 2 (High)41 Ask Me Now Jazz Standard 2 (High)42 Au Privave Jazz Standard 2 (High)43 Beatrice Jazz Standard 2 (High)44 Blues for Alice Blues 2 (High)45 Bolivia Jazz Standard 2 (High)46 Bye Bye Blackbird Standard 2 (High)47 C Jam Clues Blues 2 (High)48 Caravan Jazz Standard 2 (High)49 Confirmation Jazz Standard 2 (High)50 Days of Wine and Roses Standard 2 (High)51 Dolphin Dance Jazz Standard 2 (High)52 Dont Get Around Much Anymore Standard 2 (High)53 East of the Sun Standard 2 (High)54 In a Sentimental Mood Ballad 2 (High)55 In Your Own Sweet Way Standard 2 (High)56 Inner Urge Jazz Standard 2 (High)57 Isfahan Standard 2 (High)58 Joy Spring Jazz Standard 2 (High)59 Lazy Bird Jazz Standard 2 (High)60 Like Someone in Love Standard 2 (High)61 Milestones (new) Jazz Standard 2 (High)62 Minority Jazz Standard 2 (High)63 Moments Notice Jazz Standard 2 (High)64 Moonlight in Vermont Ballad 2 (High)65 My One and Only Love Ballad 2 (High)66 Nardis Jazz Standard 2 (High)67 Nicas Dream Latin 2 (High)68 Night and Day Standard 2 (High)69 One Finger Snap Jazz Standard 2 (High)70 Pent-up House Jazz Standard 2 (High)71 Recordame Latin 2 (High)72 Rhythm-a-Ning Rhythm Changes 2 (High)73 Round Midnight Jazz Standard 2 (High)74 Scrapple from the Apple Jazz Standard 2 (High)75 Serenity Jazz Standard 2 (High)76 Seven Steps to Heaven Jazz Standard 2 (High)77 Soul Eyes Ballad 2 (High)78 Star Eyes Jazz Standard 2 (High)79 Take the A Train Jazz Standard 2 (High)80 The Song is You Standard 2 (High)81 The Theme Rhythm Changes 2 (High)82 This I Dig of You Jazz Standard 2 (High)83 Tune-Up Jazz Standard 2 (High)84 UMMG Jazz Standard 2 (High)85 Without a Song Standard 2 (High)86 Yardbird Suite Jazz Standard 2 (High)87 Yes or No Jazz Standard 2 (High)88 You Stepped Out of a Dream Standard 2 (High) 89 26-2 Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)90 A Night in Tunisia Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)91 All Blues Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)92 All of You Standard 3 (Medium)93 Angel Eyes Standard 3 (Medium)94 Autumn in New York Standard 3 (Medium)95 Beautiful Love Standard 3 (Medium)96 Bemsha Swing Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)97 Black Narcissus Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)98 Black Nile Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)99 Black Orpheus Latin 3 (Medium)100 Blue Monk Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)101 But Beautiful Standard 3 (Medium)102 But Not for Me Standard 3 (Medium)103 Ceora Latin 3 (Medium)104 Cheryl Blues 3 (Medium)105 Come Rain or Come Shine Standard 3 (Medium)106 Con Alma Latin 3 (Medium)107 Corcovado (Quiet Nights) Latin 3 (Medium)108 Countdown Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)109 Criss Cross Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)110 Daahound Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)111 Desafinado Latin 3 (Medium)112 Doxy Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)113 Easy to Love Standard 3 (Medium)114 Embraceable You Ballad 3 (Medium)115 Epistrophy Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)116 Equinox Blues 3 (Medium)117 ESP Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)118 Everything Happens to Me Ballad 3 (Medium)119 Evidence Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)120 Falling Grace Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)121 Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)122 Footprints Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)123 For All We Know Ballad 3 (Medium)124 Four In One Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)125 Freddie Freeloader Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)126 Freedom Jazz Dance Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)127 Good Bait Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)128 Goodbye Pork Pie Ballad 3 (Medium)129 Green Chimneys Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)130 Half Nelson Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)131 Hot House Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)132 How Deep is the Ocean Standard 3 (Medium)133 I Cant Get Started Ballad 3 (Medium)134 I Could Write a Book Standard 3 (Medium)135 I Got Rhythm Standard 3 (Medium)136 I Mean You Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)137 I Remember Clifford Ballad 3 (Medium)138 I Remember You Standard 3 (Medium)139 I Should Care Standard 3 (Medium)140 I Thought about You Ballad 3 (Medium)141 If I Were a Bell Standard 3 (Medium)142 In Walked Bud Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)143 Indiana Standard 3 (Medium)144 Infant Eyes Standard 3 (Medium)145 Isotope Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)146 It I Should Lose You Standard 3 (Medium)147 Its You or No One Standard 3 (Medium)148 Jordu Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)149 Just in Time Standard 3 (Medium)150 Just One of those Things Standard 3 (Medium)151 Killer Joe Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)152 Laura Ballad 3 (Medium)153 Lets Cool One Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)154 Little Sunflower Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)155 Love for Sale Standard 3 (Medium)156 Lullaby of Birdland Standard 3 (Medium)157 Lush Life Ballad 3 (Medium)158 Maiden Voyage Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)159 Milestones (Miles) Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)160 Misty Ballad 3 (Medium)161 Monks Dream Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)162 Monks Mood Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)163 My Foolish Heart Ballad 3 (Medium)164 My Funny Valentine Ballad 3 (Medium)165 My Shining Hour Standard 3 (Medium)166 My Ship Ballad 3 (Medium)167 Nefertiti Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)168 Night Dreamer Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)169 Old Folks Ballad 3 (Medium)170 One Note Samba Latin 3 (Medium)171 Ornithology Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)172 Peace Ballad 3 (Medium)173 Pensativa Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)174 Perdido Standard 3 (Medium)175 Polka dots and Moonbeams Ballad 3 (Medium)176 Prelude to a Kiss Ballad 3 (Medium)177 Ruby My Dear Ballad 3 (Medium)178 Salt Peanuts Rhythm Changes 3 (Medium)179 Sandu Blues 3 (Medium)180 Satin Doll Standard 3 (Medium)181 Secret Love Standard 3 (Medium)182 Skylark Ballad 3 (Medium)183 So What Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)184 Someday my Prince will Come Standard 3 (Medium)185 Song For My Father Latin 3 (Medium)186 Sonnymoon for Two Blues 3 (Medium)187 Speak Low Standard 3 (Medium)188 Speak No Evil Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)189 St. Thomas Latin 3 (Medium)190 Steeplechase Rhythm Changes 3 (Medium)191 Stompin at the Savoy Standard 3 (Medium)192 Sweet Georgia Brown Standard 3 (Medium)193 Tenderly Standard 3 (Medium)194 The Girl From Ipanema Latin 3 (Medium)195 The Jitterbug Waltz Standard 3 (Medium)196 The Night Has 1000 Eyes Standard 3 (Medium)197 The Shadow of your Smile Latin 3 (Medium)198 The Way you Look Tonight Standard 3 (Medium)199 These Foolish Things Standard 3 (Medium)200 Think of One Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)201 Up Jumped Spring Standard 3 (Medium)202 Walkin Blues 3 (Medium)203 Watermelon Man Funk 3 (Medium)204 Wave Latin 3 (Medium)205 Well, you Neednt Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)206 Whats New? Ballad 3 (Medium)207 Whisper Not Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)208 Wild Flower Ballad 3 (Medium)209 Windows Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)210 Witch Hunt Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)211 Witchcraft Standard 3 (Medium)212 Woody n You Jazz Standard 3 (Medium)213 Yesterdays Ballad 3 (Medium)214 You Dont Know What Love Is Ballad 3 (Medium) 215 A Child is Born Standard 4 (Low)216 A Day in the Life of a Fool Standard 4 (Low)217 Afternoon in Paris Standard 4 (Low)218 Ah-Leu-Cha Jazz Standard 4 (Low)219 Alice in Wonderland Standard 4 (Low)220 All Gods Chillun Jazz Standard 4 (Low)221 April in Paris Standard 4 (Low)222 Bags Groove Jazz Standard 4 (Low)223 Bernies Tune Jazz Standard 4 (Low)224 Bessies Blues Blues 4 (Low)225 Blue in Green Jazz Standard 4 (Low)226 Bluesette Jazz Standard 4 (Low)227 Chelsea Bridge Jazz Standard 4 (Low)228 Conception Jazz Standard 4 (Low)229 Cousin Mary Jazz Standard 4 (Low)230 CTA Jazz Standard 4 (Low)231 Dearly Beloved Ballad 4 (Low)232 Dig Jazz Standard 4 (Low)233 Dont Blame Me Ballad 4 (Low)234 Easy Living Ballad 4 (Low)235 El Gaucho Jazz Standard 4 (Low)236 Emily Ballad 4 (Low)237 End of a Love Affair Standard 4 (Low)238 Georgia On My Mind Standard 4 (Low)239 Gone with the Wind Standard 4 (Low)240 Hackensack Jazz Standard 4 (Low)241 Heres That Rainy Day Standard 4 (Low)242 Hi-Fly Jazz Standard 4 (Low)243 How Insensitive Latin 4 (Low)244 I Didnt Know What Time it Was Standard 4 (Low)245 I Fall in Love too Easily Ballad 4 (Low)246 I Got it Bad and that aint Good Standard 4 (Low)247 I Want to Talk about You Ballad 4 (Low)248 Ill Take Romance Standard 4 (Low)249 Im Old Fashioned Ballad 4 (Low)250 Ive Grown Accustomed to Her Face Ballad 4 (Low)251 If You Could See Me Now Ballad 4 (Low)252 In A Mellowtone Standard 4 (Low)253 Israel Jazz Standard 4 (Low)254 It Dont Mean a Thing Standard 4 (Low)255 It Might As Well Be Spring Standard 4 (Low)256 Its All Right with Me Standard 4 (Low)257 Joshua Jazz Standard 4 (Low)258 Juju Jazz Standard 4 (Low)259 Lament Ballad 4 (Low)260 Lester Leaps In Rhythm Changes 4 (Low)261 Litha Jazz Standard 4 (Low)262 Long Ago and Far Away Standard 4 (Low)263 Love Walked In Standard 4 (Low)264 Lover Standard 4 (Low)265 Lover Come Back to Me Standard 4 (Low)266 Loverman Ballad 4 (Low)267 Mack the Knife Standard 4 (Low)268 Mahjong Jazz Standard 4 (Low)269 Manteca Latin 4 (Low)270 Meditation Latin 4 (Low)271 Misterioso Blues 4 (Low)272 Monks Mood Jazz Standard 4 (Low)273 Mr Clean Funk 4 (Low)274 My Romance Standard 4 (Low)275 Naima Ballad 4 (Low)276 On the Sunny Side of the Street Standard 4 (Low)277 Once I Loved Latin 4 (Low)278 Our Delight Jazz Standard 4 (Low)279 Our Love is Here to Stay Standard 4 (Low)280 Over the Rainbow Standard 4 (Low)281 Passion Dance Jazz Standard 4 (Low)282 Satellite Jazz Standard 4 (Low)283 Smoke Gets in your Eyes Ballad 4 (Low)284 Some Other Blues Blues 4 (Low)285 Someone to Watch Over Me Ballad 4 (Low)286 Sophisticated Lady Ballad 4 (Low)287 Spring Can Really Hang You Up Ballad 4 (Low)288 Spring is Here Standard 4 (Low)289 Stardust Standard 4 (Low)290 Sugar Blues 4 (Low)291 Tangerine Standard 4 (Low)292 The Duke Standard 4 (Low)293 Things aint what they used to Be Blues 4 (Low)294 Triste Latin 4 (Low)295 Unit Seven Blues 4 (Low)296 Valse Hot Jazz Standard 4 (Low)297 When I Fall in Love Ballad 4 (Low)298 When Lights are Low Ballad 4 (Low)299 When Sunny Gets Blue Ballad 4 (Low)300 Youre a Weaver of Dreams Standard 4 (Low)Share this: