Standards

Here's To Life chords & key

Key: C minor
Form: AABBCD
Bars: 52
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“Here's To Life” is a jazz standard by Artie Butler. It is usually played in C minor as a ballad, and the 52-bar AABBCD form has 6 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 13 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C minor

F^m7

B♭^7susB♭⁹

E♭^maj7

A♭^maj9

D^m7♭5

G^7♭9♯5

C^m7

F^m7

B♭^7susB♭⁹

E♭^maj7

A♭^maj9

D^m7♭5

G^7♭9♯5

C^maj7

×2

A♭^maj7

D^m7♭5_/A♭

C^maj7

C⁷_/B♭

A♭^maj7

D^m7♭5_/A♭

C^7sus

A♭^maj7

B♭⁹_/A♭

B^dim7

C^m7

F^m7

B♭^7susB♭⁹

C^m7

C^m7_/B♭

A♭^maj7

B♭⁹_/A♭

B^dim7

B♭^m7A^7♭5

A♭^maj7

B♭⁹_/A♭

B^dim7

C^m7

F^m7

B♭^7sus

C^m9

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

0Major ii–V–I

2Minor ii–V–i

6ii–V moves

1Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

19Different chords

Most used chords

A♭^maj7×7
C^m7×5
F^m7×4
B♭^7sus×4
C^maj7×4
D^m7♭5_/A♭×4

Recorded on these albums

1992	Here’s to Life Shirley Horn · “Here’s to Life”
1994	Here's to Life Joe Williams · “Here's to Life”
1997	A Tribute to Oscar Peterson: Live at the Town Hall Oscar Peterson · “Here's to Life”
2002	First Conversation Cæcilie Norby · “Here's to Life”
2003	Lookin' for Love Marlena Shaw · “Here's to Life”
2008	Live at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival Shirley Horn · “Here’s to Life”
2009	Love Is the Answer Barbra Streisand · “Here’s to Life”
2010	One Night Only: Barbra Streisand and Quartet at the Village Vanguard Barbra Streisand · “Here’s to Life”
2013	Back to Brooklyn Barbra Streisand · “Here’s to Life (intro)”
2013	A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn Mark Murphy · “Here’s to Life”
2020	Stations Viktoria Tolstoy · “Here's to Life”
2023	Unalome Buster Williams · “Here's to Life”
2024	Great Women of Song: Shirley Horn Shirley Horn · “Here's to Life”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Autumn Leaves 21%	Joseph Kosma	G minor	AABC · 32	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Here's To Life in?

Here's To Life is usually played in C minor. For B♭ instruments that is D minor, for E♭ instruments A minor.

Who wrote Here's To Life?

Here's To Life was written by Artie Butler.

What is the form of Here's To Life?

Here's To Life has 6 sections (AABBCD) with 52 bars in total.

How fast is Here's To Life played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to Here's To Life?

The opening bars are Fm7 | Bb7sus Bb9 | Ebmaj7 | Abmaj9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.