If you listen in at, say, a blues jam, you're likely to hear a particular blues described, for instance, as a "long five." This lets the musicians know what the chord changes will be like for the last (typically) four bars.
There's a huge number of such phrases, used as descriptors for many melodic and chordal structures for the sake of bandmates, and the descriptions-- especially for a jazzman, I think-- can get very complex.
Anyone know of a website which describes these phrases? Sanctuary much for any help.
