Standards · 1950
Conception chords & key
- Key
- D♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 44
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1950
“Conception” is a jazz standard by George Shearing from 1950. It is usually played in D♭ major as a medium swing, and the 44-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 22 different chords and moves between the key centres E major, C♯ minor, D♭ major and E minor. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.
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
- D♭maj7×6
- Amaj7×6
- A♭7×6
- G♭m7×6
- A♭m7×4
- D♭7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
E major, C♯ minor, D♭ major and E minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Conception" is a 1949 jazz standard written by George Shearing in the bebop style. The composition is in the key of Db and is noticeable for its chromatic descending chord sequences. The original score was adapted by Miles Davis in 1950, who created an arrangement that kept Shearing's chord changes and main theme, but replaced the composition's bridge and ending with new melodic material. This arrangement is documented on a February 1950 broadcast recording in New York City featuring Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, and Art Blakey. Davis recorded this same arrangement in October 1951 for his first LP, The New Sounds (Prestige Records, 1951). Davis also did a complete rewrite of "Conception" in 1950 (creating an entire new main theme) for his Birth of the Cool nonet, giving the composition the title "Deception".
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Recorded on these albums
| 1951 | The New Sounds Miles Davis |
| 1982 | Live Dizzy Gillespie Live With The Mitchell-Ruff Duo |
| 2026 | Shine (Live at Teatro Estense, Ferrara, 1987) Chet Baker · “Conception (Live)” |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Conception in?
Conception is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.
Who wrote Conception?
Conception was written by George Shearing (1950).
What is the form of Conception?
Conception has 4 sections (AABA) with 44 bars in total.
How fast is Conception played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Conception?
The opening bars are Ebm7b5 | Ab7b9 | Dbmaj7 Bm7 | Amaj7 Abmaj7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.