Standards
Happy Little Sunbeam chords & key
- Key
- F major
- Form
- ABAC
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Happy Little Sunbeam” is a jazz standard by Russ Freeman. Most bands play it in F major, up-tempo swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres F major, C major, B♭ minor, A♭ major, A minor and G minor.
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
- Gm7×6
- C7×6
- F6×6
- A♭m7×3
- D7×3
- Dm7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
F major, C major, B♭ minor, A♭ major, A minor and G minor
Characteristics
- ABAC song form
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Little Willie Leaps 24% | F major |
| Ceora 23% | A♭ major |
| Cynthia's In Love 22% | E♭ major |
| All God's Chillun Got Rhythm 20% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Happy Little Sunbeam in?
Happy Little Sunbeam is usually played in F major. For B♭ instruments that is G major, for E♭ instruments D major.
Who wrote Happy Little Sunbeam?
Happy Little Sunbeam was written by Russ Freeman.
What is the form of Happy Little Sunbeam?
Happy Little Sunbeam has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Happy Little Sunbeam played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to Happy Little Sunbeam?
The opening bars are Gm7 | C7 | F6 | F6 Abm7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.