Standards · 1945
Anthropology chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1945
“Anthropology” is a jazz standard by Charlie Parker from 1945. It is usually played in B♭ major as a up-tempo swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 3 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres C minor and B♭ major. The bridge uses the cycle of dominants known from Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” — so-called rhythm changes. In this atlas it appears in 4 transcribed solos.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- F7×11
- G7×9
- Cm7×9
- Dm7×4
- B♭maj7×3
- Fm7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
C minor and B♭ major
Characteristics
- Rhythm changes
- AABA song form
History
"Anthropology" (also known as "Thriving from a Riff" or "Thriving on a Riff") is a bebop-style jazz composition that is credited to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Parker stated in 1949 that Gillespie had played no part in its writing, and that others had added the trumpeter as co-composer. It is a contrafact, being based on the harmony of "I Got Rhythm". The first recording of the composition, then known as "Thriving from a Riff", was made on November 26, 1945, by an ensemble led by Parker. The other musicians were trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Sadik Hakim, bassist Curley Russell, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and drummer Max Roach.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Transcribed solos on Anthropology
| Dizzy Gillespie trumpet | 246 BPM |
| Fats Navarro trumpet | 301 BPM |
| Chris Potter tenor saxophone | 245 BPM |
| Art Pepper clarinet | 219 BPM |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Moose The Mooche 100% | B♭ major |
| No Moe 100% | B♭ major |
| Oleo 100% | B♭ major |
| Passport 100% | B♭ major |
| Salt Peanuts 100% | B♭ major |
| Shaw 'Nuff 100% | B♭ major |
| The Theme 100% | B♭ major |
| Thriving From A Riff 77% | B♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Anthropology in?
Anthropology is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote Anthropology?
Anthropology was written by Charlie Parker (1945).
What is the form of Anthropology?
Anthropology has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Anthropology played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 246 BPM, 301 BPM, 245 BPM and 219 BPM.
What are the chord changes to Anthropology?
The opening bars are Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.