Standards
Five Brothers chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 28
- Groove
- Medium-up swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Five Brothers” is a jazz standard by Gerry Mulligan. It is usually played in C major as a medium-up swing, and the 28-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 10 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres C major, F major, E♭ major, D major and D♭ major.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Dm7×10
- Cmaj7×9
- G7×7
- Am7×6
- B♭7×4
- Gm7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
C major, F major, E♭ major, D major and D♭ major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
Frequently asked questions
What key is Five Brothers in?
Five Brothers is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote Five Brothers?
Five Brothers was written by Gerry Mulligan.
What is the form of Five Brothers?
Five Brothers has 4 sections (AABA) with 28 bars in total.
How fast is Five Brothers played?
The usual groove is Medium-up swing.
What are the chord changes to Five Brothers?
The opening bars are Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.