Standards

Cheek To Cheek chords & key

Key: C major
Form: AABBC
Bars: 56
Groove: Medium-up swing
Time signature: 4/4

“Cheek To Cheek” is a jazz standard by Irving Berlin. Most bands play it in C major, medium-up swing; the tune runs 56 bars in AABBC form. Harmonically it contains 14 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 17 different chords and moves between the key centres C major and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 16 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

C^maj7D♭^dim7

D^m7G⁷

C^maj7D♭^dim7

D^m7G⁷

C^maj7D^m7

E♭^dim7E^m7

B♭^7♯11

A⁷D⁷

G⁷D^m7

E^m7F⁷

B♭^7♯11

A⁷

D^m7

G⁷

E^m7A⁷

D^m7G⁷

C⁶

×2

D^m7G⁷

C⁶A⁷

D^m7G⁷

C⁶A⁷

D^m7G⁷

C⁶A⁷

D^m7G⁷

C⁶

C^m7

E♭^m7

A♭⁷

D^m7♭5

G⁷A♭^dim7

A^m7

D^m7G⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

14Major ii–V–I

1Minor ii–V–i

19ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

6Dominant chains

17Different chords

Most used chords

D^m7×20
G⁷×19
A⁷×11
C⁶×10
C^maj7×6
E^m7×5

Key centres reached by ii–V

C major and D minor

Recorded on these albums

1953	The Astaire Story Fred Astaire · “Cheek to Cheek”
1953	Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin Oscar Peterson
1956	Ella and Louis Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong · “Cheek to Cheek”
1956	Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings Bing Crosby & Buddy Bregman · “Cheek to Cheek”
1958	Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “Cheek to Cheek”
1959	Come Dance With Me! Frank Sinatra with Billy May and His Orchestra · “Cheek to Cheek”
1959	All or Nothing at All Billie Holiday · “Cheek to Cheek”
1959	Oscar Peterson Plays the Irving Berlin Songbook Oscar Peterson · “Cheek to Cheek”
1973	Jealousy: Hits of the Thirties Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli · “Cheek to Cheek”
1988	Cheek To Cheek Fred Astaire
1988	Menuhin & Grappelli Play Berlin, Kern, Porter & Rodgers and Hart Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli · “Cheek to Cheek”
1991	A Fine Romance Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers · “Cheek to cheek”
1998	That Old Black Magic Ella Fitzgerald · “Cheek to Cheek”
2008	Ella & Louis (and Oscar Too) Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong & The Oscar Peterson Trio · “Cheek to Cheek”
—	Ella Et Louis Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong · “Cheek to Cheek”
—	The Irving Berlin Songbook Fred Astaire · “Cheek to Cheek”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Cheek to Cheek Red Norvo Trio · Irving Berlin · Red Norvo · Tal Farlow · Charles… · 1950 archive.org ↗
Cheek to Cheek Oscar Peterson Trio · Oscar Peterson · Barney Kessel · Ray Brown ·… · 1953 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
A Fine Romance 26%	Jerome Kern	C major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
Fran Dance 24%	Miles Davis	B♭ major	AABAB · 40	Medium swing
Ornithology 22%	Charlie Parker	G major	ABAC · 32	Up-tempo swing
Sometimes I'm Happy 22%	Vincent Youmans	F major	ABAB · 32	Medium swing
Line For Lyons 21%	Gerry Mulligan	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Day In, Day Out 20%	Rube Bloom	C major	A · 56	Medium swing
This Is All I Ask 20%	Gordon Jenkins	F major	ABAC · 32	Ballad
You Better Go Now 20%	Reichner-Graham	E♭ major	ABC · 24	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Cheek To Cheek in?

Cheek To Cheek is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote Cheek To Cheek?

Cheek To Cheek was written by Irving Berlin.

What is the form of Cheek To Cheek?

Cheek To Cheek has 5 sections (AABBC) with 56 bars in total.

How fast is Cheek To Cheek played?

The usual groove is Medium-up swing.

What are the chord changes to Cheek To Cheek?

The opening bars are Cmaj7 Dbdim7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Dbdim7 | Dm7 G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.