Standards · 1941
Chelsea Bridge chords & key
“Chelsea Bridge” is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn from 1941. Most bands play it in D♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres D♭ major, E major, A major and G major. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks and in 1 transcribed solo.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — D♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B♭mmaj7×6
- A♭mmaj7×6
- D♭6×6
- C7×5
- B7×5
- B♭7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
D♭ major, E major, A major and G major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Chelsea Bridge" is an impressionistic jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn in 1941.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
Transcribed solos on Chelsea Bridge
| David Murray tenor saxophone | 53 BPM |
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- Chelsea Bridge Johnny Bothwell's Swingtet · Billy Strayhorn · 1945 archive.org ↗
Frequently asked questions
What key is Chelsea Bridge in?
Chelsea Bridge is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.
Who wrote Chelsea Bridge?
Chelsea Bridge was written by Billy Strayhorn (1941).
What is the form of Chelsea Bridge?
Chelsea Bridge has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Chelsea Bridge played?
The usual groove is Ballad. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 53 BPM.
What are the chord changes to Chelsea Bridge?
The opening bars are Bbmmaj7 | Abmmaj7 | Bbmmaj7 Abmmaj7 | Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.