Standards · 1931
As Time Goes By chords & key
“As Time Goes By” is a jazz standard by Herman Hupfeld from 1931. Most bands play it in E♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 14 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, F minor and A♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 8 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Fm7×13
- B♭7×10
- E♭maj7×8
- C7♭9×5
- C7×4
- F7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major, F minor and A♭ major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"As Time Goes By" is a jazz song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became famous when it was featured in the 1942 film Casablanca, sung by Dooley Wilson as Sam. The song was voted No. 2 on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film (surpassed only by "Over the Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland). The song was covered among others by Rudy Vallee, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Durante, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon, Vera Lynn, Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry and Josh Groban. It was also the title and theme song of the 1990s British romantic sitcom As Time Goes By. National Public Radio (NPR) included it in its "NPR 100", a 1999 list of the most important American musical works of the 20th century as compiled by NPR's music editors. The song is a popular reflection of nostalgia and often used in films and series reflecting this feeling.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
| 1962 | Point of No Return Frank Sinatra, arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl |
| 1964 | The Third Album Barbra Streisand |
| 1975 | Life Is Beautiful Tony Bennett |
| 1976 | Feels Good, Feels Right Bing Crosby |
| 2000 | Timeless: Live in Concert Barbra Streisand · “As Time Goes By / Speak Low (medley)” |
| 2012 | I Get a Kick out of You Frank Sinatra |
| 2017 | Love in Triplicate - Sinatra Sings Great American Songbook Frank Sinatra · “AS TIME GOES BY (1961)” |
| 2026 | Night Blooms Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra |
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- AS TIME GOES BY DERRY FALLIGANT · DAVID MILLER · Herman Hupfeld archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Tis Autumn 28% | E♭ major |
| When You're Smilin' 27% | B♭ major |
| Cabaret 24% | E♭ major |
| Little Girl Blue 24% | F major |
| What A Little Moonlight Can Do 24% | G major |
| At Long Last Love 23% | C major |
| Billy Boy 23% | C major |
| Donna Lee 23% | A♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is As Time Goes By in?
As Time Goes By is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote As Time Goes By?
As Time Goes By was written by Herman Hupfeld (1931).
What is the form of As Time Goes By?
As Time Goes By has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is As Time Goes By played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to As Time Goes By?
The opening bars are Fm7 Bb7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Bb7#5 | Ebmaj7 C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.