Standards
A Ballad chords & key
“A Ballad” is a jazz standard by Gerry Mulligan. It is usually played in C major as a ballad, and the 47-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 12 major ii–V–I cadences and 6 minor ii–V–i, uses 35 different chords and moves between the key centres C major, B major, E minor, D minor, D major and D♭ major.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Em7×14
- Dm7×7
- G7×7
- G♭m7×6
- A7×5
- Cmaj7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
C major, B major, E minor, D minor, D major and D♭ major
Frequently asked questions
What key is A Ballad in?
A Ballad is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote A Ballad?
A Ballad was written by Gerry Mulligan.
What is the form of A Ballad?
A Ballad has 4 sections (AABA) with 47 bars in total.
How fast is A Ballad played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to A Ballad?
The opening bars are Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dbm7 Gb7#9 | Bmaj7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.