Standards · 1938

A Tisket A Tasket chords & key

Key
E♭ major
Form
AABA
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1938

“A Tisket A Tasket” is a jazz standard from 1938. Most bands play it in E♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 9 different chords and moves between the key centres F minor and E♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

A
E♭maj7
E♭maj7
E♭maj7A♭maj7
Gm7C7
Fm7
B♭7
Fm7B♭7
1.
E♭maj7B♭7
2.
E♭maj7E♭7
B
A♭6
A♭m6
E♭maj7
E♭7
A♭6
A♭m6
Gm7C7
Fm7B♭7
A
E♭maj7
E♭maj7
E♭maj7A♭maj7
Gm7C7
Fm7
B♭7
Fm7B♭7
E♭maj7

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

Harmonic analysis

4Major ii–V–I
4Minor ii–V–i
11ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
9Different chords

Most used chords

  • E♭maj7×13
  • B♭7×8
  • Fm7×7
  • Gm7×4
  • C7×4
  • A♭maj7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

F minor and E♭ major

Characteristics

  • AABA song form

History

"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (Roud Folk Song Index 13188) is a nursery rhyme first recorded in North America in the late 19th century. The melody to which the nursery rhyme is sung recurs in other nursery rhymes including "It's Raining, It's Pouring"; "Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "Ring Around the Rosie". It was further used as the basis for a successful 1938 recording by Ella Fitzgerald, composed by Fitzgerald in conjunction with Al Feldman (later known as Van Alexander).

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

Recorded on these albums

1957 Ella and Her Fellas
Ella Fitzgerald · “A‐Tisket A‐Tasket”
1998 That Old Black Magic
Ella Fitzgerald · “A Tisket, a Tasket”
2008 Miss Ella’s Playhouse
Ella Fitzgerald · “A‐Tisket, A‐Tasket”
2016 Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set
Ella Fitzgerald · “A‐Tisket, A‐Tasket”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Mona Lisa 34% Livingston-Evans E♭ major ABA · 24 Ballad
Valse Hot 33% Sonny Rollins A♭ major A · 16 Jazz waltz
Just Squeeze Me 31% Duke Ellington F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
When The Saints Go Marching In 30% Traditional F major A · 16 Medium swing
My Little Suede Shoes 29% Charlie Parker E♭ major AABA · 32 Latin
Scrapple From The Apple 29% Charlie Parker F major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Across The Alley From The Alamo 28% Joe Greene F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Come Back To Me 28% Alan Lerner, Burton Lane F major AABA · 32 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is A Tisket A Tasket in?

A Tisket A Tasket is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

What is the form of A Tisket A Tasket?

A Tisket A Tasket has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is A Tisket A Tasket played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to A Tisket A Tasket?

The opening bars are Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 | Gm7 C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.