Standards

Black And Tan Fantasy chords & key

Key
B♭ minor
Form
ABB
Bars
28
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4

“Black And Tan Fantasy” is a jazz standard by Ellington-Miley. It is usually played in B♭ minor as a medium swing, and the 28-bar ABB form has 3 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres C minor and B♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 22 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ minor

A
B♭m
B♭m
B♭m
B♭m
E♭m6
E♭m6
B♭m
B♭m
F7♭9
F7♭9
B♭mE♭m6
B♭m
B
G♭7
G♭7
B♭6
Dm7D♭dim7
E♭E♭m/F
Dm7G7Cm7F7
1.
B♭GaugC7F7
B♭7E♭7A♭7D♭7
2.
B♭6
B♭6

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

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I
2Minor ii–V–i
4ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
6Dominant chains
19Different chords

Most used chords

  • B♭m×8
  • G♭7×4
  • B♭6×4
  • Dm7×4
  • E♭m6×3
  • F7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

C minor and B♭ major

Recorded on these albums

1956 Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington
Thelonious Monk · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1956 Johnny Hodges and the Ellington All Stars
Johnny Hodges and The Ellington All Stars · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1956 Duke's in Bed
Johnny Hodges · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1960 Dance Air Force Date 1960
Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy / Creole Love Call / The Mooche”
1961 Recording Together for the First Time
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1962 Cat Anderson & The Ellington All-Stars
William "Cat" Anderson
1966 Once Upon a Time
Earl Hines · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1977 Louis Jordan & Chris Barber
Louis Jordan & Chris Barber · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1988 The Feeling of Jazz
Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1993 Jazz Tribune No.69: Indispensable
Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
1994 From Vanguard with Love
Kenny Burrell · “Black & Tan Fantasy”
1996 Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington
Earl Hines · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2005 Rockin' in Rhythm
Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2007 I Think the Best Thing About This Record Is the Music
Acker Bilk · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2010 Solo
Vijay Iyer · “Black & Tan Fantasy”
2012 Blue Note Jazz Inspiration
Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2013 Together Again: Live in Concert
Marcus Roberts Trio with Wynton Marsalis · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2014 In Gröna Lund 1963
Duke Ellington · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2019 Essentials: Historicity / Accelerando / Solo
Vijay Iyer · “Black & Tan Fantasy”
2022 Live at "Ratso's"
Earl Hines · “Black and Tan Fantasy”
2025 Essentially Ellington: The JLCO Recordings, 1999-2025
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis · “Black and Tan Fantasy (2011)”
— Royal Essence - An Evening of Ellington
Sir Roland Hanna & Davey Yarborough · “Black & Tan Fantasy”

Frequently asked questions

What key is Black And Tan Fantasy in?

Black And Tan Fantasy is usually played in B♭ minor. For B♭ instruments that is C minor, for E♭ instruments G minor.

Who wrote Black And Tan Fantasy?

Black And Tan Fantasy was written by Ellington-Miley.

What is the form of Black And Tan Fantasy?

Black And Tan Fantasy has 3 sections (ABB) with 28 bars in total.

How fast is Black And Tan Fantasy played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Black And Tan Fantasy?

The opening bars are Bbm | Bbm | Bbm | Bbm. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.