Standards · 1946

A Night In Tunisia chords & key

Key: D minor
Form: AABA
Bars: 48
Groove: Latin
Time signature: 4/4
Year: 1946

“A Night In Tunisia” is a jazz standard by Dizzy Gillespie from 1946. It is usually played in D minor as a latin, and the 48-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 5 minor ii–V–i, uses 16 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor, G minor and F minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks and in 2 transcribed solos.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — D minor

×2

E♭⁷

D^m6

E♭⁷

D^m6

E♭⁷

D^m6

E^m7♭5A^7♭9

D^m

A^m7♭5

D^7♭9

G^m7

G^m7♭5

C^7♭9

F^maj7

E^m7♭5A^7♭9

E♭⁷

D^m6

E♭⁷

D^m6

E♭⁷

D^m6

E^m7♭5A^7♭9

D^m

E^m7♭5

E♭^7♯11

D^m7

G^7♯11

G^mmaj7

G^m7

G♭^7♯9

F^maj7

E^m7♭5

A^7♭9

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

0Major ii–V–I

5Minor ii–V–i

8ii–V moves

11Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

16Different chords

Most used chords

E♭⁷×9
D^m6×9
E^m7♭5×7
A^7♭9×5
D^m×3
G^m7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

D minor, G minor and F minor

History

"A Night in Tunisia" is a musical composition written in 1942 by American trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie that has become a jazz standard. Gillespie wrote it while he was playing with the Benny Carter band. The tune is also known as "Interlude". "A Night in Tunisia" was one of the signature pieces of Gillespie's bebop big band, and he also played it with his small groups. In January 2004, The Recording Academy added Gillespie's 1946 RCA Victor recording to the Grammy Hall of Fame. In June 2026, CBS News included the piece in its list of the 250 essential American songs of the past 250 years.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1955	West Coast Jazz Stan Getz · “Night in Tunisia”
1955	Duke Jordan Trio & Quintet Duke Jordan · “Night in Tunisia”
1956	World Statesman Dizzy Gillespie · “A Night in Tunisia”
1956	Jay & Kai + 6 Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson · “Night in Tunisia”
1956	'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia Kenny Dorham · “Night in Tunisia”
1956	The Trio, Volume 3: Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes Hampton Hawes · “A Night in Tunisia”
1957	A Night at the Village Vanguard Sonny Rollins · “A Night in Tunisia”
1957	At Newport Count Basie & Joe Williams / Dizzy Gillespie & Mary Lou Williams · “A Night in Tunisia”
1957	Prayer to the East Yusef Lateef · “A Night in Tunisia”
1957	At Birdland Friedrich Gulda · “Night in Tunisia”
1957	The Modern Jazz Quartet The Modern Jazz Quartet · “Night in Tunisia”
1957	Calm, Cool & Collette Buddy Collette · “Night in Tunisia”
1958	Legrand Jazz Michel Legrand · “Night in Tunisia”
1958	Max Roach + 4 at Newport Max Roach · “Night in Tunisia”
1958	Anita O'Day Sings the Winners Anita O’Day · “A Night in Tunisia”
1958	The Cooker Lee Morgan · “A Night in Tunisia”
1959	The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn, Volume 2 The Modern Jazz Quartet with Sonny Rollins · “Night in Tunisia”
1960	The 'Electric-Sticks' Of Buddy Rich Buddy Rich · “Night In Tunisia”
1960	Crazy! Baby Jimmy Smith · “A Night in Tunisia”
1960	Easy to Love The Piano of Roland Hanna · “Night in Tunisia”
1960	Hum ! Daniel Humair, René Urtreger, Pierre Michelot · “Night in Tunisia”
1961	Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! Ella Fitzgerald · “A Night in Tunisia”
1961	Paris Jam Session Art Blakey · “Night in Tunisia”
1961	8 bitar Jan Johansson · “Night in Tunisia”

Transcribed solos on A Night In Tunisia

Clifford Brown trumpet	190 BPM	D-min	1954-02-21
Pepper Adams baritone saxophone	128 BPM	D-min	1957-09-29

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Diverse 30%	Charlie Parker	B♭ minor	ABA · 26	Up-tempo swing
Segment 30%	Charlie Parker	B♭ minor	ABA · 26	Up-tempo swing
Alone Together 29%	Arthur Schwartz	D minor	AABA · 44	Medium swing
Catch Me 21%	Joe Pass	D minor	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Decision 21%	Sonny Rollins	F minor	A · 13	Medium swing
Minor Mood 21%	Clifford Brown	F minor	AB · 24	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is A Night In Tunisia in?

A Night In Tunisia is usually played in D minor. For B♭ instruments that is E minor, for E♭ instruments B minor.

Who wrote A Night In Tunisia?

A Night In Tunisia was written by Dizzy Gillespie (1946).

What is the form of A Night In Tunisia?

A Night In Tunisia has 4 sections (AABA) with 48 bars in total.

How fast is A Night In Tunisia played?

The usual groove is Latin. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 190 BPM and 128 BPM.

What are the chord changes to A Night In Tunisia?

The opening bars are Eb7 | Dm6 | Eb7 | Dm6. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.