ENDEIT

Standards · 1934

Don't Be That Way chords & key

Edgar Sampson · Lyrics: Mitchell Parish

Key
D♭ major
Form
AABA
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1934

“Don't Be That Way” is a jazz standard by Edgar Sampson from 1934. Most bands play it in D♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres D♭ major and E♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 10 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — D♭ major

A
D♭6B♭m7
E♭m7A♭7♯5
D♭6B♭m7
E♭m7A♭7♯5
Fm7B♭7
E♭m7A♭9♯5
1.
D♭6B♭m7
E♭m7A♭7♯5
2.
D♭6G♭m6
D♭6
B
C9
C9
F9
F9
B♭9
B♭9
E♭9
A♭7♯5
A
D♭6B♭m7
E♭m7A♭7♯5
D♭6B♭m7
E♭m7A♭7♯5
Fm7B♭7
E♭m7A♭7♯5
D♭6B♭m7
E♭m7A♭7♯5

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

Harmonic analysis

7Major ii–V–I
3Minor ii–V–i
14ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
4Dominant chains
12Different chords

Most used chords

  • E♭m7×11
  • D♭6×10
  • A♭7♯5×10
  • B♭m7×8
  • Fm7×3
  • B♭7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

D♭ major and E♭ minor

Characteristics

  • AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1957 Ella and Louis Again
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
1961 Swing Along With Me
Frank Sinatra
1974 Take Love Easy
Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass · “Don’t Be That Way”
1982 The Best Is Yet to Come
Ella Fitzgerald · “Don’t Be That Way”
1986 “Easy Living”
Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass · “Don’t Be That Way”
1993 Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson
Ella Fitzgerald · “Don’t Be That Way”
1998 That Old Black Magic
Ella Fitzgerald · “Don’t Be That Way”
2002 It’s Easy to Remember
Bing Crosby · “Don’t Be That Way”
2008 Ella & Louis (and Oscar Too)
Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong & The Oscar Peterson Trio · “Don’t Be That Way”
— Ella Et Louis
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong · “Don’t Be That Way”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

  • DON'T BE THAT WAY TEDDY WILSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Sampson & Parish · Goodman & Parish · 1938 archive.org ↗
  • Don't Be That Way "Little Jazz" and his Trumpet Ensemble · "Little Jazz" · Emmett… · 1944 archive.org ↗
  • Don't Be That Way 'Little Jazz" and his Trumpet Ensemble · "Little Jazz" · Emmett… · 1944 archive.org ↗
  • DON'T BE THAT WAY "Little Jazz" and his Trumpet Ensemble · "Little Jazz" · Emmett… · 1944 archive.org ↗
  • DON'T BE THAT WAY The Gene Krupa Trio · Gene Krupa · Eddie Shu · Teddy Napoleon ·… · 1954 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Cotton Tail 44% Duke Ellington B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
The Rainbow Connection 38% Williams-Ascher G major AAB · 34 Jazz waltz
Let's Fall In Love 35% Harold Arlen C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
For Sentimental Reasons 34% William Best F major AABA · 32 Slow swing
I Got Rhythm 33% George Gershwin B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
At Last 32% Harry Warren C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Airmail Special 30% Charlie Christian C major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Little Peace In C For You 30% Michel Petrucciani C major AABA · 32 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Don't Be That Way in?

Don't Be That Way is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.

Who wrote Don't Be That Way?

Don't Be That Way was written by Edgar Sampson (1934).

What is the form of Don't Be That Way?

Don't Be That Way has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Don't Be That Way played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Don't Be That Way?

The opening bars are Db6 Bbm7 | Ebm7 Ab7#5 | Db6 Bbm7 | Ebm7 Ab7#5. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.