Standards

How Deep Is The Ocean chords & key

Key: E♭ major
Form: ABAC
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium swing
Time signature: 4/4

“How Deep Is The Ocean” is a jazz standard by Irving Berlin. Most bands play it in E♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 8 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres G minor, C minor, E♭ major and F minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks and in 1 transcribed solo.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

C^m7

D^m7♭5G^7♭9

C^m7

A^m7♭5D^7♭9

G^m7

A^m7♭5D^7♭9

G^m7G♭⁷

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭⁷

A♭⁷

B⁷

B♭⁷

D^m7♭5G^7♭9

C^m7

D^m7♭5G^7♭9

C^m7

A^m7♭5D^7♭9

G^m7

A^m7♭5D^7♭9

G^m7G♭⁷

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭^maj7

G^m7♭5C^7♭9

F^m7

A♭^m7D♭⁷

E♭^maj7G⁷

C^m7F⁷

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭⁶G^7♭9

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

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I

8Minor ii–V–i

13ii–V moves

2Tritone substitutions

2Dominant chains

20Different chords

Most used chords

C^m7×5
G^7♭9×4
A^m7♭5×4
D^7♭9×4
G^m7×4
F^m7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

G minor, C minor, E♭ major and F minor

Characteristics

ABAC song form

Recorded on these albums

1947	Songs by Sinatra Frank Sinatra · “How Deep Is the Ocean?”
1950	Dinah Washington Dinah Washington · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1951	Dynamic Dinah! The Great Voice of Dinah Washington Dinah Washington · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1951	Presenting Jimmy Raney Jimmy Raney · “How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)”
1952	Young Man With a Horn Miles Davis · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1953	Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin Oscar Peterson
1954	Billie Holiday Billie Holiday · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1955	The Interpretations of Tal Farlow Tal Farlow · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1956	Lonely Girl Julie London · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1956	Fascinating Rhythm Tal Farlow · “How Deep Is the Ocean?”
1956	Go Man! Sonny Criss · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1957	Tenor Conclave Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims · “How Deep Is the Ocean?”
1957	Vibe-Rant Teddy Charles
1958	Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)”
1958	Who's Sorry Now Connie Francis · “How Deep Is the Ocean?”
1958	The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton Stan Kenton · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1958	Closer Than a Kiss Vic Damone · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1958	Rockin' With Kay Kay Starr
1958	I'll Take Romance Bud Shank / Len Mercer Strings · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1958	Mélodies Guy Lafitte · “How Deep Is the Ocean”
1959	Oscar Peterson Plays the Irving Berlin Songbook Oscar Peterson · “How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)”
1959	Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson Ben Webster & Oscar Peterson · “How Deep Is the Ocean?”
1959	Patterns Of Jazz Cecil Payne · “How Deep Is the Ocean?”
1960	Nice ’n’ Easy Frank Sinatra · “How Deep Is the Ocean”

Transcribed solos on How Deep Is The Ocean

Charlie Parker alto saxophone

72 BPM

C-min

1947-11-17

Historic 78 rpm recordings

HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN (HOW HIGH IS THE SKY) ARTIE SHAW And His Orchestra · Hal Stevens · Irving Berlin · 1946 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
I Should Care 24%	Cahn-Stordahl-Weston	C major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair 24%	Clare Edwards	E♭ major	AB · 32	Medium swing
The Shadow Of Your Smile 22%	Johnny Mandel	G major	AB · 32	Bossa nova
Lullaby Of Birdland 21%	George Shearing	A♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is How Deep Is The Ocean in?

How Deep Is The Ocean is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote How Deep Is The Ocean?

How Deep Is The Ocean was written by Irving Berlin.

What is the form of How Deep Is The Ocean?

How Deep Is The Ocean has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is How Deep Is The Ocean played?

The usual groove is Medium swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 72 BPM.

What are the chord changes to How Deep Is The Ocean?

The opening bars are Cm7 | Dm7b5 G7b9 | Cm7 | Am7b5 D7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.