Standards
Blue Lou chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Blue Lou” is a jazz standard by Irving Mills. Most bands play it in B♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 9 different chords and moves between the key centres B♭ minor and F major. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- F7×10
- Cm7♭5×6
- B♭maj7×5
- C7×4
- E♭maj7×3
- Cm7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
B♭ minor and F major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- BLUE LOU Børge Roger-Henrichsen og hans Kvintet · Carter archive.org ↗
- Blue Lou Dohler Four · Bill Dohler · Tut Soper · Jim Lanigan · 1946 archive.org ↗
- Blue Lou Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra · Sampson · Mills · 1947 archive.org ↗
- Blue Lou (Part 2) Erroll Garner · Wardell Gray · Red Callender · Irving Ashby · Jackie… · 1951 archive.org ↗
- Blue Lou (Part 1) Erroll Garner · Wardell Gray · Red Callender · Irving Ashby · Jackie… · 1951 archive.org ↗
Frequently asked questions
What key is Blue Lou in?
Blue Lou is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote Blue Lou?
Blue Lou was written by Irving Mills.
What is the form of Blue Lou?
Blue Lou has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Blue Lou played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Blue Lou?
The opening bars are Cm7b5 | F7 | Cm7b5 | F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.