ENDEIT

Standards · 1948

Easter Parade chords & key

Irving Berlin

Key
B♭ major
Form
AABA
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1948

“Easter Parade” is a jazz standard by Irving Berlin from 1948. It is usually played in B♭ major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres B♭ major and F major. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major

A
B♭maj7F7
B♭7
E♭maj7
Cm7D♭dim7
B♭maj7F7
B♭maj7Gm7
1.
C7
Cm7F7
2.
C7F7
B♭6
B
B♭7
B♭7
E♭6
E♭6
Gm7
C7
F6E♭6
Dm7F7
A
B♭maj7F7
B♭7
E♭maj7
Cm7D♭dim7
B♭maj7F7
B♭maj7Gm7
C7F7
B♭6Cm7F7

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

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
6ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
5Dominant chains
12Different chords

Most used chords

  • F7×11
  • B♭maj7×9
  • B♭7×5
  • Cm7×5
  • Gm7×4
  • C7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

B♭ major and F major

Characteristics

  • AABA song form

History

Easter Parade is a 1948 American Technicolor romantic musical film directed by Charles Walters, written by Sidney Sheldon, Frances Goodrich, and Albert Hackett from a story by Goodrich and Hackett, and starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, and Ann Miller. The film contains some of Astaire's and Garland's best-known songs, including "Easter Parade", "Steppin' Out with My Baby", and "A Couple of Swells", all by Irving Berlin. Gene Kelly was originally cast opposite Garland, but broke his ankle. The part was then offered to Astaire, who had retired two years earlier. Very eager to work again, Astaire consulted Kelly about the offer, and Kelly supported his decision to take the role. Garland and Astaire were a successful team, and Astaire was restored to his status as a top MGM star.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1942 Original Soundtrack Recording Of The Classic 1942 Film "Holiday Inn"
Bing Crosby
1953 Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin
Oscar Peterson
1997 Holiday Inn
Bing Crosby
— Bing
Bing Crosby

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
I Don't Want To Miss Mississippi 26% Serger Ellis G major AAB · 48 Medium swing
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive 24% Harold Arlen F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Don't Know Why 24% Jesse Harris B♭ major AAABAA · 50 Ballad
52nd Street Theme 23% Thelonious Monk C major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Jeepers Creepers 23% Harry Warren B♭ major AABA · 34 Medium swing
L.O.V.E. 23% Gabler-Kaempfert G major ABAC · 32 Medium swing
Nutty 23% Thelonious Monk B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
High Hopes 22% Jimmy Van-Heusen F major A · 28 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Easter Parade in?

Easter Parade is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.

Who wrote Easter Parade?

Easter Parade was written by Irving Berlin (1948).

What is the form of Easter Parade?

Easter Parade has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Easter Parade played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Easter Parade?

The opening bars are Bbmaj7 F7 | Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | Cm7 Dbdim7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.