Standards
For Sentimental Reasons chords & key
- Key
- F major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Slow swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“For Sentimental Reasons” is a jazz standard by William Best. It is usually played in F major as a slow swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 10 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 16 different chords and moves between the key centres F major, A minor, G minor and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — F major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- C7×13
- Gm7×12
- Dm7×10
- Fmaj7×7
- F6×6
- D7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
F major, A minor, G minor and D minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1952 | Unforgettable Nat King Cole · “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” |
| 1962 | Cha Cha De Amor Dean Martin · “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| In Love In Vain 43% | B♭ major |
| Too Young To Go Steady 40% | F major |
| Ain't Misbehavin' 38% | C major |
| This Is All I Ask 37% | F major |
| Love Is The Sweetest Thing 36% | D major |
| Don't Be That Way 34% | D♭ major |
| Let's Fall In Love 33% | C major |
| Put On A Happy Face 33% | E♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is For Sentimental Reasons in?
For Sentimental Reasons is usually played in F major. For B♭ instruments that is G major, for E♭ instruments D major.
Who wrote For Sentimental Reasons?
For Sentimental Reasons was written by William Best.
What is the form of For Sentimental Reasons?
For Sentimental Reasons has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is For Sentimental Reasons played?
The usual groove is Slow swing.
What are the chord changes to For Sentimental Reasons?
The opening bars are Fmaj7 Dm7 | Gm7 C7 | Fmaj7 Dm7 | Gm7 C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.