Standards
For Once In My Life chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- ABAC
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“For Once In My Life” is a jazz standard by Orlando Murden. Most bands play it in B♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 22 different chords and moves between the key centres B♭ major and E♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B♭6×7
- F7×7
- Cm×6
- G7×4
- Gm7×3
- Cm7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
B♭ major and E♭ major
Characteristics
- ABAC song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1967 | For Once in My Life Tony Bennett · “For Once in My Life” |
| 1969 | My Way Frank Sinatra · “For Once in My Life” |
| 1971 | For the Good Times Dean Martin · “For Once in My Life” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Bye Bye Baby 25% | B♭ major |
| I Got Rhythm 23% | B♭ major |
| I'll Be Seeing You 22% | E♭ major |
| I've Got A Crush On You 22% | B♭ major |
| It's A Lovely Day Today 22% | B♭ major |
| The Love Nest 22% | E♭ major |
| Taking A Chance On Love 22% | F major |
| Where Or When 22% | E♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is For Once In My Life in?
For Once In My Life is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote For Once In My Life?
For Once In My Life was written by Orlando Murden.
What is the form of For Once In My Life?
For Once In My Life has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is For Once In My Life played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to For Once In My Life?
The opening bars are Bb Bbaug | Bb6 Bdim7 | Cm G7 | Cm G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.