Standards
Firm Roots chords & key
- Key
- E♭ major
- Form
- AAB
- Bars
- 44
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Firm Roots” is a jazz standard by Cedar Walton. It is usually played in E♭ major as a up-tempo swing, and the 44-bar AAB form has 3 sections. Harmonically it contains 8 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 14 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, C major and B♭ major.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- E♭maj7×8
- Fm7×5
- B♭7×4
- Cmaj7×4
- B♭maj7×4
- A♭7sus×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major, C major and B♭ major
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| I Remember You 24% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Firm Roots in?
Firm Roots is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote Firm Roots?
Firm Roots was written by Cedar Walton.
What is the form of Firm Roots?
Firm Roots has 3 sections (AAB) with 44 bars in total.
How fast is Firm Roots played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to Firm Roots?
The opening bars are Fm7 | Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.