Standards · 1926
East St. Louis Toodle-oo chords & key
- Key
- C minor
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1926
“East St. Louis Toodle-oo” is a jazz standard by Ellington-Milley from 1926. Most bands play it in C minor, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 21 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C minor
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Cm/E♭×9
- Fm6×9
- Cm×6
- Cm/G×6
- Fm6/D×3
- Fm6/A♭×3
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (also "Toodle-O" and "Todolo") is a composition written by Duke Ellington and Bubber Miley and recorded several times by Ellington for various labels from 1926 to 1930 under various titles. This song was in 1927 the first charting single for Duke Ellington and was one of the main examples of his early "jungle music". The composition entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2023.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
| 2004 | Jazz Moods - Hot Duke Ellington · “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo” |
| 2014 | The Duke: Historically Speaking Duke Ellington · “East St. Louis Toodle-O” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps 27% | E minor |
Frequently asked questions
What key is East St. Louis Toodle-oo in?
East St. Louis Toodle-oo is usually played in C minor. For B♭ instruments that is D minor, for E♭ instruments A minor.
Who wrote East St. Louis Toodle-oo?
East St. Louis Toodle-oo was written by Ellington-Milley (1926).
What is the form of East St. Louis Toodle-oo?
East St. Louis Toodle-oo has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is East St. Louis Toodle-oo played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to East St. Louis Toodle-oo?
The opening bars are Cm Cm/Eb | Fm6/D Fm6 | Cm/Eb Cm/G | Fm6 Fm6/Ab. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.