ENDEIT

Standards

Don't Worry 'Bout Me chords & key

Rube Bloom

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 8 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major

A
B♭m7
E♭7
A♭maj7
A♭maj7
B♭m7
E♭7
A♭6
Cm7Bdim7
B♭m7
D♭m6
G♭9
G♭9Gm7♭5C7
Fm7
B♭7
B♭m7
E♭7
B
B♭m7
E♭7
A♭maj7
A♭maj7
A♭maj7
E♭m7A♭7
D♭maj7
D♭maj7
D♭maj7
G♭9
Cm7
F7
B♭m7
E♭7
A♭6
Cm7F7♭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
  • Cm7×3
  • 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

1959 Last Recording
Billie Holiday with Ray Ellis and His Orchestra · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1961 My Heart Sings
Tony Bennett
1982 A Classy Pair
Ella Fitzgerald & The Count Basie Orchestra · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1986 “Easy Living”
Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass · “Don’t Worry ’bout Me”
1999 One O’Clock Jump
Ella Fitzgerald / Count Basie / Joe Williams · “Don’t Worry About Me”
2000 Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell
2026 Too Marvelous For Words
Peggy Lee
— Lullaby of Birdland
Duke Ellington

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.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
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.