ENDEIT

Standards · 1942

At Last chords & key

Harry Warren · Lyrics: Mack Gordon

Key
C major
Form
AABA
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1942

“At Last” is a jazz standard by Harry Warren from 1942. It is usually played in C major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 9 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 17 different chords and moves between the key centres C major, D minor, E minor and G major. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

A
C6Am7
Dm7G7♭13
Cmaj7Am7
Dm7G7
Em7A7
Dm7G7
1.
C6Am7
A♭7G7
2.
C6Fm6
C6Am7
B
Dm7G7
Cmaj7Am7
G♭m7♭5B7♭9
Em7
Am7D7
Gmaj7E7♭9
Am7D7♭9
Dm7G7
A
C6Am7
Dm7G7♭13
Cmaj7Am7
Dm7G7♯9
Em7A7
Dm7G7
C6Am7
Dm7G7

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

Harmonic analysis

9Major ii–V–I
4Minor ii–V–i
18ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
17Different chords

Most used chords

  • Am7×12
  • Dm7×12
  • G7×9
  • C6×7
  • Cmaj7×4
  • Em7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

C major, D minor, E minor and G major

Characteristics

  • AABA song form

History

"At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 musical film Sun Valley Serenade. Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, and a 1942 version reached number two on the US Billboard pop chart. In 1960, rhythm and blues singer Etta James recorded an arrangement by Riley Hampton that expanded on Warren's original melody. Her rendition served as the title track of her debut album At Last! and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The song has since been recorded by many artists, with later chart successes by Celine Dion and Beyoncé.

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

Recorded on these albums

1957 Love Is the Thing
The Voice of Nat “King” Cole with The Orchestra of Gordon Jenkins
1983 Speak Love
Ella Fitzgerald / Joe Pass
2000 Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Too Young To Go Steady 34% Jimmy McHugh F major AABA · 32 Ballad
In Love In Vain 33% Leo Robin Jerome Kern B♭ major ABAC · 32 Medium swing
Don't Be That Way 32% Edgar Sampson D♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
More Than You Know 31% Vincent Youmans C major AABA · 32 Ballad
For Sentimental Reasons 30% William Best F major AABA · 32 Slow swing
One Morning In May 30% Hoagy Carmichael G major AAB · 48 Up-tempo swing
My One And Only Love 28% Wood-Mellin C major AABA · 32 Ballad
Surrey With The Fringe On The Top 28% Richard Rodgers B♭ major AABAC · 40 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is At Last in?

At Last is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote At Last?

At Last was written by Harry Warren (1942).

What is the form of At Last?

At Last has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is At Last played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to At Last?

The opening bars are C6 Am7 | Dm7 G7b13 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.