Standards
A Child Is Born chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AB
- Bars
- 30
- Groove
- Jazz waltz
- Time signature
- 3/4
“A Child Is Born” is a jazz standard by Roland Hanna. Most bands play it in B♭ major, jazz waltz; the tune runs 30 bars in AB form. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 14 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
A
B
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
0Major ii–V–I
1Minor ii–V–i
3ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
2Dominant chains
14Different chords
Most used chords
- B♭maj7×6
- E♭m/B♭×5
- Gm7×4
- D7♯5×2
- C7×2
- F7sus×2
Recorded on these albums
| 1970 | Tracks Oscar Peterson |
| 1975 | Lazy Afternoon Barbra Streisand |
| 1977 | Together Again Tony Bennett and Bill Evans |
| 2026 | World Tour Oscar Peterson · “A Child Is Born / Here's That Rainy Day” |
Frequently asked questions
What key is A Child Is Born in?
A Child Is Born is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote A Child Is Born?
A Child Is Born was written by Roland Hanna.
What is the form of A Child Is Born?
A Child Is Born has 2 sections (AB) with 30 bars in total.
How fast is A Child Is Born played?
The usual groove is Jazz waltz.
What are the chord changes to A Child Is Born?
The opening bars are Bbmaj7 | Ebm/Bb | Bbmaj7 | Ebm/Bb. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.