Standards
Birk's Works chords & key
- Key
- F minor
- Form
- A
- Bars
- 12
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Birk's Works” is a jazz standard by Dizzy Gillespie. It is usually played in F minor as a up-tempo swing, and the 12-bar A form repeats as one section. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 8 different chords and moves between the key centres F minor and B♭ minor. Its changes follow a 12-bar minor blues. In this atlas it appears on 5 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — F minor
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Fm6×6
- Gm7♭5×2
- C7♭9×2
- B♭m7×2
- Cm7♭5×1
- F7♭9×1
Key centres reached by ii–V
F minor and B♭ minor
Characteristics
- Minor blues
Recorded on these albums
| 1952 | Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie · “Birks Works” |
| 1954 | Blow That Horn! Dizzy Gillespie, Vol. 1 Dizzy Gillespie · “Birks Works” |
| 1956 | The Champ Dizzy Gillespie |
| 1969 | It's My Way Dizzy Gillespie |
| 1971 | Giants Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett, Mary Lou Williams, Grady Tate & George Duvivier · “Birks Works” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Shutterbug 45% | G minor |
| Decision 33% | F minor |
| Diverse 31% | B♭ minor |
| Segment 31% | B♭ minor |
| I'm A Fool To Want You 27% | E minor |
| Catch Me 25% | D minor |
| Besame Mucho 23% | D minor |
| Cheese Cake 20% | C minor |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Birk's Works in?
Birk's Works is usually played in F minor. For B♭ instruments that is G minor, for E♭ instruments D minor.
Who wrote Birk's Works?
Birk's Works was written by Dizzy Gillespie.
What is the form of Birk's Works?
Birk's Works has 1 sections (A) with 12 bars in total.
How fast is Birk's Works played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to Birk's Works?
The opening bars are Fm6 | Gm7b5 C7b9 | Fm6 | Cm7b5 F7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.