How to practice What's New? with play-along tracks?

Use the play-along backing track above to practice What's New? in the key of B. Listen to the audio with bass, piano, and drums, start by playing the melody, then practice improvisation and soloing over the chord changes.

What scales to use for soloing over What's New??

For soloing over What's New?, recommended scales include: bebop, bebop major. Use arpeggio patterns over each chord to create melodic lines that follow the harmony of this jazz tune.

Who composed What's New??

What's New? was composed by Bob Hggart. It is a swing standard in 4/4 time. The original key is C; this page shows it transposed to B.

What key is What's New? in?

The original key of What's New? is C. The form is AB with 26 bars. This page shows the chart transposed to B.

What scales work for improvising over What's New??

Recommended scales for What's New? in B: bebop, bebop major. Scales and arpeggios update in real-time as each chord plays, with context-aware analysis (e.g., Phrygian Dominant over secondary dominants).

How does the interactive backing track work?

The backing track plays with realistic walking bass, drum patterns, and voice-led chord voicings. Scales and arpeggios update in real-time as each chord plays. You can limit the fretboard zone for close-proximity voicings, toggle a reference melody, loop any section, and choose between multiple sound presets. Works for guitar, piano, bass, ukulele, and 7 more instruments.

Can I edit the chord chart?

Yes. You can modify the structure, chords, and arrangement of any standard to match your preferred version or create your own reharmonization.

What's New? in B

Bob Hggart()swing

Do Re MiC D E

BPM: 120

Chord Diagrams — What's New? in B (Guitar)

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FingerNoteDegree

Chord Voicings Closest Voicing

What's New? in B

Key of B

B major mixes barre and open elements. The B chord itself is a barre at fret 2, but E and A are comfortable open chords forming the IV and V. The open B string rings as the root, allowing creative drone-based arrangements. B is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open B string rings as the root and the open E strings provide the 4th — useful for sus4 voicings and drone effects. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through B to A (descending whole step), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to C# (ascending tritone), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to C# (ascending whole step), C# to B (descending whole step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to D (descending whole step), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F# (ascending tritone), F# to E (descending whole step). The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from E to B by perfect fourth.

Scales for Improvisation

B major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, B Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.

swing4/4 · 26 bars · Form: AB

Chords: B, Am7, D7, GMaj7, C♯m7♭5, F♯7, Bm7, C♯m7, B7, E, Dm7, G7, C, F♯m7♭5, Em7.

Scales for Improvisation B bebop, B bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of B