Standards

Don't Worry 'Bout Me chords & key

Key: A♭ major
Form: AB
Bars: 32
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“Don't Worry 'Bout Me” is a jazz standard by Rube Bloom. Most bands play it in A♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AB form. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 17 different chords and moves between the key centres A♭ major, F minor, D♭ major and B♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major

B♭^m7

E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

B♭^m7

E♭⁷

A♭⁶

C^m7B^dim7

B♭^m7

D♭^m6

G♭⁹

G♭⁹G^m7♭5C⁷

F^m7

B♭⁷

B♭^m7

E♭⁷

B♭^m7

E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

E♭^m7A♭⁷

D♭^maj7

G♭⁹

C^m7

F⁷

B♭^m7

E♭⁷

A♭⁶

C^m7F^7♭9

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

Harmonic analysis

5Major ii–V–I

2Minor ii–V–i

11ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

17Different chords

Most used chords

B♭^m7×6
E♭⁷×5
A♭^maj7×5
C^m7×3
G♭⁹×3
D♭^maj7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

A♭ major, F minor, D♭ major and B♭ minor

Recorded on these albums

1955	My Kinda Love Sarah Vaughan
1955	Contrasts Erroll Garner
1956	Annie by Candlelight Annie Ross
1956	The Sax Section Al Cohn · “Don't Worry 'bout Me (Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler)”
1957	The Touch of Your Lips Mel Tormé · “Don't Worry ’Bout Me”
1958	Cotton Club Revue 1958 Cab Calloway · “Don’t Worry ’Bout Me”
1958	Bird Feathers Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Jackie McLean, John Jenkins, Hal McKusick
1958	Last Train From Overbrook James Moody
1959	Last Recording Billie Holiday with Ray Ellis and His Orchestra · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1959	Chris in Person Chris Connor · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1960	The Ballad Artistry of Milt Jackson Milt Jackson
1960	The Sonny Side Of Stitt Sonny Stitt
1960	Moonglow & Stardust: Backgrounds to Your Favorite Songs for Singing and Playing The Mal Waldron Trio
1960	Etta Jones Sings Etta Jones · “Don’t Worry About Me”
1961	My Heart Sings Tony Bennett
1961	Thinking Of You André Previn · “Don't Worry 'bout Me”
1961	'Spoon Jimmy Witherspoon
1962	Blues Make Me Happy Cab Calloway · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1962	Don’t Worry ’Bout Me Billy Eckstine · “Don’t Worry ’Bout Me”
1962	The Nearness of You Red Garland · “Don’t Worry About Me”
1963	Love on the Rocks Julie London · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1963	Back in Bean's Bag Coleman Hawkins & Clark Terry
1963	Good Gracious! Lou Donaldson
1965	Moody Della Reese

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Don't worry' bout me Diana Miller · Gösta Törner's Orkester · Rube Bloom · Ted Koehler archive.org ↗
Don't Worry 'bout Me Teddy Wilson Octet · Sarah Vaughn · T. Wilson · B. Clayton · D. Byas… · 1946 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
How Are Things In Glocca Morra 38%	Burton Lane	F major	AAB · 30	Ballad
Billy Boy 36%	Traditional	C major	AABA · 56	Medium-up swing
Deed I Do 36%	Hirsch-Rose	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
What'll I Do 35%	Irving Berlin	C major	AABA · 32	Jazz waltz
When You're Smilin' 35%	Shay - Fisher - Goodwin	B♭ major	AB · 32	Medium swing
You Can Depend On Me 35%	Carpenter-Dunlap-Hines	F major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing
S'posin' 34%	Paul Denniker	B♭ major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) 33%	Daugherty-Neiberg-Reynolds	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Don't Worry 'Bout Me in?

Don't Worry 'Bout Me is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.

Who wrote Don't Worry 'Bout Me?

Don't Worry 'Bout Me was written by Rube Bloom.

What is the form of Don't Worry 'Bout Me?

Don't Worry 'Bout Me has 2 sections (AB) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Don't Worry 'Bout Me played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to Don't Worry 'Bout Me?

The opening bars are Bbm7 | Eb7 | Abmaj7 | Abmaj7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.