Standards

Beyond The Blue Horizon chords & key

Key: B♭ major
Form: AB
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium swing
Time signature: 4/4

“Beyond The Blue Horizon” is a jazz standard by Whiting-Harding. It is usually played in B♭ major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AB form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 11 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 7 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major

B♭^maj7

A♭^7♯11

B♭^maj7

G⁷

C^m7

E♭^m6

B♭^maj7

G⁷

C⁷

C^m7

F^7♯5

B♭^maj7

A♭^7♯11

B♭^maj7

D^dim7

G⁷

C^m7

E♭^m6

B♭^maj7

G^m7

C^m7

F⁷

B♭⁶

C^m7F⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I

0Minor ii–V–i

3ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

1Dominant chains

11Different chords

Most used chords

B♭^maj7×9
G⁷×5
C^m7×5
A♭^7♯11×4
E♭^m6×2
C⁷×2

Recorded on these albums

1957	Cliff Jordan Clifford Jordan · “Beyond the Blue Horizon”
1959	Conniff Meets Butterfield Ray Conniff meets Billy Butterfield · “Beyond the Blue Horizon”
1962	Call of the Wind Frankie Laine · “Beyond the Blue Horizon”
1964	The Wonderful World of Make Believe Johnny Mathis · “Beyond the Blue Horizon”
2001	Portrait Coleman Hawkins · “Beyond the Blue Horizon (New York, October 12, 1944)”
2004	Back to Balboa Stan Kenton · “Beyond the Blue Horizon”
2006	Witch’s Scream John Tchicai, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille · “Beyond the Blue Horizon”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Beyond the Blue Horizon Coleman Hawkins and his All American Five · Teddy Wilson · Robin ·… · 1944 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
On A Slow Boat To China 27%	Frank Loesser	B♭ major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
Fools Rush In 26%	Rube Bloom	C major	ABAC · 32	Slow swing
Deed I Do 22%	Hirsch-Rose	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Falling In Love With Love 22%	Richard Rodgers	B♭ major	AA · 64	Jazz waltz
The Nearness Of You 21%	Hoagy Carmichael	F major	AAB · 30	Ballad
Strangers In The Night 21%	Bert Kaempfert	F major	ABCA · 32	Slow swing
Donna Lee 20%	Charlie Parker	A♭ major	AB · 32	Up-tempo swing
I Don't Want To Miss Mississippi 20%	Serger Ellis	G major	AAB · 48	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Beyond The Blue Horizon in?

Beyond The Blue Horizon is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.

Who wrote Beyond The Blue Horizon?

Beyond The Blue Horizon was written by Whiting-Harding.

What is the form of Beyond The Blue Horizon?

Beyond The Blue Horizon has 2 sections (AB) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Beyond The Blue Horizon played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Beyond The Blue Horizon?

The opening bars are Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Ab7#11 | Ab7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.