Standards
April In Paris chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- ABCD
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“April In Paris” is a jazz standard by Vernon Duke. It is usually played in C major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar ABCD form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 6 minor ii–V–i, uses 24 different chords and moves between the key centres C minor, A minor, F major and E minor. In this atlas it appears on 12 album tracks and in 1 transcribed solo.
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
- Cmaj7×4
- Dm7♭5×3
- E7×3
- G♭m7♭5×3
- C6×3
- G7♭9sus×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
C minor, A minor, F major and E minor
Recorded on these albums
| 1949 | Charlie Parker With Strings Charlie Parker · “April in Paris” |
| 1956 | Ella and Louis Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong · “April in Paris” |
| 1958 | Come Fly With Me Frank Sinatra with Billy May and His Orchestra · “April in Paris” |
| 1959 | All or Nothing at All Billie Holiday · “April in Paris” |
| 1960 | To My Wonderful One Tony Bennett · “April in Paris” |
| 1962 | At Carnegie Hall Recorded Live June 9, 1962 Tony Bennett with Ralph Sharon and His Orchestra · “April in Paris” |
| 1962 | French Style Dean Martin · “April in Paris” |
| 1968 | The Piano Soul of Nat King Cole Nat King Cole |
| 1976 | Ella and Oscar Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson · “April in Paris” |
| 1985 | For All Seasons Yehudi Menuhin & Stephane Grappelli · “April in Paris” |
| 1988 | Menuhin and Grappelli Play “Jealousy” and Other Great Standards Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli · “April in Paris” |
| — | It Ain't Over... Ella Fitzgerald · “April in Paris” |
Transcribed solos on April In Paris
| Wynton Marsalis trumpet | 154 BPM |
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- APRIL IN PARIS Kaye Bros. Orchestra · Lenny Kaye · Jerome Kern · Albert Black and… archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| I've Never Been In Love Before 26% | B♭ major |
| If I Were A Bell 26% | F major |
| Down In The Depths 21% | G major |
| Try A Little Tenderness 21% | E♭ major |
| I Love You 20% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is April In Paris in?
April In Paris is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote April In Paris?
April In Paris was written by Vernon Duke.
What is the form of April In Paris?
April In Paris has 4 sections (ABCD) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is April In Paris played?
The usual groove is Medium swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 154 BPM.
What are the chord changes to April In Paris?
The opening bars are G7b9sus | Cmaj7 | Dm7b5 | G7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.