Standards
Dolphin Dance chords & key
- Key
- E♭ major
- Form
- ABCD
- Bars
- 34
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Dolphin Dance” is a jazz standard by Herbie Hancock. It is usually played in E♭ major as a medium swing, and the 34-bar ABCD form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 29 different chords and moves between the key centres G major and C minor. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks and in 1 transcribed solo.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Cm7×4
- Am7×3
- D7×3
- E♭maj7×2
- D♭maj7/E♭×2
- Gmaj7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
G major and C minor
Recorded on these albums
Transcribed solos on Dolphin Dance
| Freddie Hubbard trumpet | 119 BPM |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Dolphin Dance in?
Dolphin Dance is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote Dolphin Dance?
Dolphin Dance was written by Herbie Hancock.
What is the form of Dolphin Dance?
Dolphin Dance has 4 sections (ABCD) with 34 bars in total.
How fast is Dolphin Dance played?
The usual groove is Medium swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 119 BPM.
What are the chord changes to Dolphin Dance?
The opening bars are Ebmaj7 | Dbmaj7/Eb | Ebmaj7 | Dm7b5 G7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.