Standards

Bernie's Tune chords & key

Bernie Miller · Lyrics: Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber

Key: D minor
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium-up swing
Time signature: 4/4

“Bernie's Tune” is a jazz standard by Bernie Miller. Most bands play it in D minor, medium-up swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences and 5 minor ii–V–i, uses 8 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor and B♭ major.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — D minor

D^m7

B♭^7♯11

E^m7♭5

A^7♭9

D^m7

E^m7♭5A^7♭9

D^m7

C^m7F⁷

B♭⁶G^m7

C^m7F⁷

B♭⁶G^m7

C^m7F⁷

B♭⁶G^m7

C^m7F⁷

B♭⁶

E^m7♭5A^7♭9

D^m7

B♭^7♯11

E^m7♭5

A^7♭9

D^m7

D^m7A^7♭9

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

Harmonic analysis

4Major ii–V–I

5Minor ii–V–i

9ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

8Different chords

Most used chords

D^m7×10
B♭^7♯11×6
A^7♭9×6
E^m7♭5×5
C^m7×4
F⁷×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

D minor and B♭ major

Characteristics

AABA song form

History

"Bernie's Tune" is a jazz standard with music by Bernie Miller, and lyrics added later by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was popularised by the American saxophonist and composer Gerry Mulligan, who recorded it several times. The tune was a popular choice for musicians jamming at the time. Information about the composer ("Bernie" Miller) is scarce: all that people really know of him is that he was a piano player from Washington DC. Mulligan speculated that by the time he had discovered any of Bernie's tunes, Bernie was dead. Later on in Mulligan's life, he took the same changes but invented a new melody to fit over the piece, entitling it 'Idol Gossip'.

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

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
No Splice 31%	Lee Konitz	G minor	AB · 32	Medium-up swing
Red Clay 30%	Freddie Hubbard	C♯ minor	AABB · 16	Funk
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 28%	Cole Porter	A minor	ABAD · 32	Medium-up swing
Be-Bop 26%	Dizzy Gillespie	F minor	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Idle Moments 23%	Grant Green	C minor	A · 16	Slow swing
Yesterdays 22%	Jerome Kern	D minor	A · 16	Medium-up swing
Bohemia After Dark 21%	Oscar Pettiford	G minor	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Chucho 21%	Paquito D'Rivera	D minor	A · 12	Latin

Frequently asked questions

What key is Bernie's Tune in?

Bernie's Tune is usually played in D minor. For B♭ instruments that is E minor, for E♭ instruments B minor.

Who wrote Bernie's Tune?

Bernie's Tune was written by Bernie Miller.

What is the form of Bernie's Tune?

Bernie's Tune has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Bernie's Tune played?

The usual groove is Medium-up swing.

What are the chord changes to Bernie's Tune?

The opening bars are Dm7 | Dm7 | Bb7#11 | Bb7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.