Standards

Blue (And Broken Hearted) chords & key

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

“Blue (And Broken Hearted)” is a jazz standard by Leslie-Handman-Clarke. It is usually played in B♭ major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AA form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres B♭ major and B♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major

B♭^maj7

D♭^dim7

D^7♯5

G^7♯5

G⁷

C^m7

E♭^m7

F⁷

B♭^maj7_/D

D♭^dim7

C^m7

F⁷

C^m7A♭⁷

B♭^maj7

G^7♯9

C^m7♭5

F⁷

B♭^maj7

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

Harmonic analysis

1Major ii–V–I

1Minor ii–V–i

2ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

2Dominant chains

12Different chords

Most used chords

B♭^maj7×7
D♭^dim7×5
C^m7×5
D^7♯5×4
F⁷×3
G^7♯5×2

Key centres reached by ii–V

B♭ major and B♭ minor

Recorded on these albums

1954	Blues for Sale Billy Eckstine · “Blue”
1956	Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color Frank Sinatra · “Blue”
1956	Ruby Braff Featuring Dave McKenna Ruby Braff Featuring Dave McKenna · “Blue (And Broken-Hearted)”
1961	Blockbustin' Dixie Al Hirt & Pete Fountain · “Blue and Broken Hearted”
1965	Al Hirt Al Hirt · “Blue (and Broken-Hearted)”
1967	The Total J.J. Johnson J.J. Johnson · “Blue”
1971	Blue Joni Mitchell · “Blue”
1972	Dance of Magic Norman Connors · “Blue”
1974	Miles of Aisles Joni Mitchell and the L.A. Express · “Blue”
1978	Gateway 2 John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette · “Blue”
1985	Works Jack DeJohnette · “Blue”
1985	Home Grown Geri Allen · “Blue”
1987	Blue Terje Rypdal & The Chasers · “Blue”
1989	Aura Miles Davis · “Blue”
1989	Twylight Geri Allen · “Blue”
1992	Parallel Realities Live… Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock & Dave Holland · “Blue”
1992	Elegy John Zorn · “Blue”
1996	Laurita Richard Galliano · “Blue”
1998	Blue Simply Red · “Blue”
1998	Jazzonia Bill Laswell · “Blue”
1998	Here's Helen Helen O’Connell · “Blue and Broken Hearted”
1999	COWBOY BEBOP BLUE 菅野よう子、シートベルツ · “BLUE”
2001	Clearing Fred Frith · “Blue”
2001	The Best of Dixieland Al Hirt · “Blue and Broken-Hearted”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Hungaria 20%	Django Reinhardt	G major	ABAC · 32	Medium-up swing
That's Amore (That's Love) 20%	Warren-Brooks	B♭ major	AB · 32	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Blue (And Broken Hearted) in?

Blue (And Broken Hearted) is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.

Who wrote Blue (And Broken Hearted)?

Blue (And Broken Hearted) was written by Leslie-Handman-Clarke.

What is the form of Blue (And Broken Hearted)?

Blue (And Broken Hearted) has 2 sections (AA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Blue (And Broken Hearted) played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Blue (And Broken Hearted)?

The opening bars are Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Dbdim7 | Dbdim7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.