Standards · 1930

Body And Soul chords & key

Johnny Green · Lyrics: Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton

Key: D♭ major
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4
Year: 1930

“Body And Soul” is a jazz standard by Johnny Green from 1930. It is usually played in D♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 8 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 26 different chords and moves between the key centres D♭ major, B♭ minor, D major and E♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks and in 14 transcribed solos.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — D♭ major

E♭^m7B♭^7♭13

E♭^m7A♭⁷

D♭^maj7G♭⁷

F^m7E^dim7

E♭^m7E♭^m7_/D♭

C^m7♭5F^7♭9

B♭^m7E♭^m7A♭⁷

D♭⁶G♭⁷F^m7♭5B♭⁷

D♭⁶E^m7A⁷

D^maj7E^m7

D^maj7_/G♭G^m7C⁷

G♭^m7B^m7E^m7A⁷

D^maj7

D^m7G⁷

E^m7E♭^dim7

D^m7G⁷

C⁷B⁷B♭⁷

E♭^m7B♭^7♭13

E♭^m7A♭⁷

D♭^maj7G♭⁷

F^m7E^dim7

E♭^m7E♭^m7_/D♭

C^m7♭5F^7♭9

B♭^m7E♭^m7A♭⁷

D♭⁶G♭⁷F^m7♭5B♭⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

8Major ii–V–I

4Minor ii–V–i

16ii–V moves

5Tritone substitutions

1Dominant chains

26Different chords

Most used chords

E♭^m7×12
A♭⁷×6
G♭⁷×5
E^m7×4
B♭^7♭13×3
D♭^maj7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

D♭ major, B♭ minor, D major and E♭ minor

Characteristics

AABA song form

History

"Body and Soul" is a popular song and jazz standard written in 1930 with music by Johnny Green and lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton. It was also used as the musical theme and underscoring in the American film noir boxing drama Body and Soul.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1948	A Sentimental Date With Perry Perry Como · “Body and Soul”
1949	Frankly Sentimental Frank Sinatra · “Body and Soul”
1951	Favorites Volume One James Moody · “Body and Soul”
1951	Presenting Jimmy Raney Jimmy Raney · “Body and Soul”
1953	Strings and Keys Strings and Keys · “Body and Soul”
1954	Images Sarah Vaughan · “Body and Soul”
1955	My Kinda Love Sarah Vaughan · “Body and Soul”
1955	Tops on Tenor Chu Berry, Lester Young · “Body and Soul”
1955	Bennie Green Blows His Horn Bennie Green · “Body and Soul”
1956	Jazz Recital Billie Holiday, Ralph Burns · “Body and Soul”
1956	Max Roach + 4 Max Roach · “Body and Soul”
1956	The Hawk in Hi-Fi Coleman Hawkins with Billy Byers & His Orchestra · “Body and Soul”
1956	The Wildest! Louis Prima · “Body and Soul”
1956	The Tender Touch Nelson Riddle
1956	New York Jazz Sonny Stitt · “Body and Soul”
1956	Flute 'N the Blues James Moody · “Body and Soul”
1956	The Trio, Volume 3: Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes Hampton Hawes · “Body and Soul”
1957	Body and Soul Billie Holiday · “Body and Soul”
1957	Make Love to Me Julie London · “Body and Soul”
1957	Sonny Stitt With The New Yorkers Sonny Stitt · “Body & Soul”
1957	Jazz Will-O-The-Wisp Al Haig · “Body and Soul”
1958	Louis Under the Stars Louis Armstrong · “Body and Soul”
1958	Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass Sonny Rollins · “Body and Soul”
1958	Lionel Hampton '58 Lionel Hampton

Transcribed solos on Body And Soul

Chu Berry tenor saxophone	82 BPM	C-maj	1938-11-11
Chu Berry tenor saxophone	93 BPM	C-maj	1938-11-11
Roy Eldridge trumpet	107 BPM	Db-maj	1938-11-11
Coleman Hawkins tenor saxophone	95 BPM	Db-maj	1939-10-11
Lester Young tenor saxophone	79 BPM	Db-maj	1942-07-15
Don Byas tenor saxophone	99 BPM	Db-maj	1947
Sonny Stitt alto saxophone	68 BPM	Db-maj	1948-06-01
John Coltrane tenor saxophone	138 BPM	Db-maj	1960-10-24
John Coltrane tenor saxophone	142 BPM	Db-maj	1960-10-24
Stan Getz tenor saxophone	63 BPM	Db-maj	1964
Joe Lovano tenor saxophone	61 BPM	Db-maj	1991-12-29
Joe Lovano tenor saxophone	60 BPM	Db-maj	1991-12-29
David Murray tenor saxophone	66 BPM	Db-maj	25, 26 & 30.09 1983
David Murray tenor saxophone	65 BPM	Db-maj	25, 26 & 30.09 1983

Historic 78 rpm recordings

BODY AND SOUL CHARLES VENTURA TRIO · Heyman · Sour · Eyton · TIMME ROSENKRANTZ archive.org ↗
BODY AND SOUL CHARLES VENTURA TRIO · Heyman · Sour · Eyton · TIMME ROSENKRANTZ archive.org ↗
BODY AND SOUL ARNE DAMNERUS GROUP · ARNE DAMNERUS archive.org ↗
BODY AND SOUL (Three's A Crowd) archive.org ↗
BODY AND SOUL HARRY PARRY AND HIS RADIO SEXTET · Heyman · Sour · Eyton · Green · 1943 archive.org ↗
Body and Soul Art Van Damme Quartet · Green · Sour · Heyman · Eyton · 1945 archive.org ↗
Body And Soul Joe Yukl · Green · Sour · Heyman · Eyton · 1945 archive.org ↗
BODY AND SOUL FOUR CHICKS & CHUCK · Green · Sour · Heyman · Eyton · Bernie Weissman · 1945 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Nancy (With The Laughing Face) 21%	Jimmy Van-Heusen	E♭ major	BBAA · 32	Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is Body And Soul in?

Body And Soul is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.

Who wrote Body And Soul?

Body And Soul was written by Johnny Green (1930).

What is the form of Body And Soul?

Body And Soul has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Body And Soul played?

The usual groove is Ballad. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 82 BPM, 93 BPM, 107 BPM and 95 BPM.

What are the chord changes to Body And Soul?

The opening bars are Ebm7 Bb7b13 | Ebm7 Ab7 | Dbmaj7 Gb7 | Fm7 Edim7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.