ENDEIT

Standards

Every Time We Say Goodbye chords & key

Cole Porter

Key
E♭ major
Form
ABAC
Bars
32
Groove
Ballad
Time signature
4/4

“Every Time We Say Goodbye” is a jazz standard by Cole Porter. It is usually played in E♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar ABAC form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres F minor, G♯ minor, A♭ major and E♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

A
E♭maj7Fm7
Gm7A♭maj7
Gm7C7
Fm7B♭7
Gm7G♭7
Bmaj7Emaj7♯11
B♭m7E♭7
A♭m7D♭7
B
E♭maj7/GG♭dim7
Fm7B♭7
B♭m7E♭7
A♭maj7
A♭m7D♭7
Gm7C7
G♭7♯11
Fm7B♭7
A
E♭maj7Fm7
Gm7A♭maj7
Gm7C7
Fm7B♭7
Gm7G♭7
Bmaj7Emaj7♯11
B♭m7E♭7
A♭m7D♭7
C
Gm7G♭dim7
Fm7B♭7
B♭m7E♭7
A♭maj7A♭m6
G7C7
Fm7B♭7
E♭6E♭6/B♭
E♭6E♭6/B♭

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

Harmonic analysis

4Major ii–V–I
4Minor ii–V–i
16ii–V moves
1Tritone substitutions
1Dominant chains
20Different chords

Most used chords

  • Fm7×8
  • Gm7×8
  • B♭7×6
  • A♭maj7×4
  • C7×4
  • B♭m7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

F minor, G♯ minor, A♭ major and E♭ major

Characteristics

  • ABAC song form

Recorded on these albums

1961 My Favorite Things
John Coltrane
2007 Sings Cole Porter
Ella Fitzgerald

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
My Shining Hour 28% Harold Arlen C major AB · 32 Medium swing
You Turned The Tables on Me 26% Louis Alter F major AB · 32 Medium swing
I'm Glad There Is You 24% Jimmy Dorsey F major ABCA · 36 Ballad
Long Ago And Far Away 24% Jerome Kern F major ABAC · 32 Up-tempo swing
You're Blasé 23% Ord Hamilton F major AABA · 28 Medium swing
Fine And Dandy 22% Kay Swift F major AB · 32 Medium-up swing
On A Clear Day 22% Burton Lane G major ABC · 34 Medium swing
Pennies From Heaven 22% Arthur Johnston C major AB · 32 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Every Time We Say Goodbye in?

Every Time We Say Goodbye is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote Every Time We Say Goodbye?

Every Time We Say Goodbye was written by Cole Porter.

What is the form of Every Time We Say Goodbye?

Every Time We Say Goodbye has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Every Time We Say Goodbye played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to Every Time We Say Goodbye?

The opening bars are Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Gm7 Abmaj7 | Gm7 C7 | Fm7 Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.