Standards
Cheetah chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Cheetah” is a jazz standard by Kenny Burrell. It is usually played in B♭ major as a up-tempo swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence, uses 16 different chords.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
A
1.
2.
B
A
⊕
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
1Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
6ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
17Dominant chains
16Different chords
Most used chords
- C7×8
- F7×8
- G7×5
- Cm7×4
- B♭maj7×3
- D♭dim7×3
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
Frequently asked questions
What key is Cheetah in?
Cheetah is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote Cheetah?
Cheetah was written by Kenny Burrell.
What is the form of Cheetah?
Cheetah has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Cheetah played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to Cheetah?
The opening bars are Bbmaj7 | Cm7 Dbdim7 | Dm7 G7#9 | C7 F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.