Standards
Butterfly chords & key
“Butterfly” is a jazz standard by Herbie Hancock. Most bands play it in F minor, funk; the tune runs 44 bars in AAB form. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — F minor
In
×2A
×2B
·
×2·
×2·
×2⊕
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
0Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
1ii–V moves
1Tritone substitutions
2Dominant chains
15Different chords
Most used chords
- Fm11×16
- Fm7×14
- B♭13×9
- Am7×7
- Am11×2
- Dm11×2
Recorded on these albums
| 1974 | Thrust Herbie Hancock |
| 1979 | Directstep Herbie Hancock |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Butterfly in?
Butterfly is usually played in F minor. For B♭ instruments that is G minor, for E♭ instruments D minor.
Who wrote Butterfly?
Butterfly was written by Herbie Hancock.
What is the form of Butterfly?
Butterfly has 3 sections (AAB) with 44 bars in total.
How fast is Butterfly played?
The usual groove is Funk.
What are the chord changes to Butterfly?
The opening bars are Fm7 | Fm7 Am7 | Fm7 | Fm7 Am7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.