Standards

Blame It On My Youth chords & key

Key: E♭ major
Form: ABAC
Bars: 32
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“Blame It On My Youth” is a jazz standard by Oscar Levant. It is usually played in E♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar ABAC form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 15 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, C minor and A♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

E♭^maj7F^m7

G^m7C^m7

F^m7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

F^m7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

G^m7F^m7B♭⁷

E♭^maj7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7B♭⁷

G^m7C^m7

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭^maj7

D^m7♭5G^7♭13

C^m7

F^m7

B♭⁷

E♭^maj7F^m7

G^m7C^m7

F^m7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

F^m7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

G^m7F^m7B♭⁷

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7B♭⁷

G^m7C^m7

F^m7F^m7_/E♭

D♭⁷C^7♭13

F^m7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭⁶C^m7

F^m7B♭⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

5Major ii–V–I

1Minor ii–V–i

12ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

15Different chords

Most used chords

F^m7×18
B♭⁷×12
G^m7×6
C^m7×6
E^dim7×5
E♭^maj7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

E♭ major, C minor and A♭ major

Characteristics

ABAC song form

Recorded on these albums

1955	This Is Chris Chris Connor featuring Kai Winding, J.J. Johnson, Ralph Sharon, Herbie Mann, Joe Puma, Osie Johnson, Milt Hinton · “Blame It on My Youth”
1957	Close to You Frank Sinatra · “Blame It on My Youth”
1959	The Exciting Connie Francis Connie Francis
1960	Velvet Guitar Hank Garland · “Blame It on My Youth”
1960	New Clarinet In Town Bob Wilber
1961	The Wham of Sam Sammy Davis Jr. · “Blame It on My Youth”
1962	Sophisticated Lady Julie London · “Blame It on My Youth”
1975	Top Hat Charlie Byrd featuring Nat Adderley · “Blame It on My Youth”
1979	Something Tasty The Super Jazz Trio with Art Farmer
1987	Classic Chris Connor · “Blame It on My Youth”
1987	Live at the Algonquin Michael Feinstein · “Blame It on My Youth”
1995	When Did You Leave Heaven Lisa Ekdahl · “Blame It on My Youth”
1997	Burnished Brass / Satin Brass George Shearing · “Blame It on My Youth”
1999	The Melody at Night, With You Keith Jarrett · “Blame It on My Youth / Meditation”
2001	Standards II Keith Jarrett / Gary Peacock / Jack DeJohnette · “Blame It on My Youth”
2001	Come Dream With Me Jane Monheit · “Blame It on My Youth”
2001	Flirting With Twilight Kurt Elling · “Blame It on My Youth”
2001	Blame It on My Youth Viktoria Tolstoy · “Blame It on My Youth”
2001	Slow Motion Orchestra Solveig Slettahjell · “Blame It on My Youth”
2003	Twentysomething Jamie Cullum · “Blame It on My Youth”
2004	R.S.V.P. - Rare Songs, Very Personal Nancy Wilson · “Blame It on My Youth”
2004	A Table for Two Kenny Barron · “Blame it on My Youth”
2006	The 1964 Orchestra Recordings Carmen McRae · “Blame It on My Youth”
2013	Eight Classic Albums George Shearing · “Blame It on My Youth”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Falling In Love With Love 33%	Richard Rodgers	B♭ major	AA · 64	Jazz waltz
If There Is Someone Lovelier 27%	Dietz-Schwartz	C major	ABC · 28	Ballad
Why Do I Love You? 27%	Jerome Kern	A♭ major	AA · 32	Medium swing
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening 24%	Jimmy McHugh	F major	AABA · 32	Ballad
The Blue Room 24%	Richard Rodgers	F major	AABC · 32	Medium swing
Love Is The Sweetest Thing 23%	Ray Noble	D major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
You Make Me Feel So Young 23%	Josef Myrow	B♭ major	AABC · 40	Medium swing
Alone Too Long 22%	Arthur Schwartz	G major	AABA · 32	Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is Blame It On My Youth in?

Blame It On My Youth is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote Blame It On My Youth?

Blame It On My Youth was written by Oscar Levant.

What is the form of Blame It On My Youth?

Blame It On My Youth has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Blame It On My Youth played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to Blame It On My Youth?

The opening bars are Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Gm7 Cm7 | Fm7 Edim7 | Fm7 Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.