Standards

If I Could Be With You chords & key

Key: E♭ major
Form: AB
Bars: 16
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“If I Could Be With You” is a jazz standard by James Johnson. It is usually played in E♭ major as a ballad, and the 16-bar AB form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 14 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

E♭^maj7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭^maj7E^dim7

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭⁶

E♭⁶C⁷

F⁷

B♭⁷

B♭G⁷C⁷F⁷

B♭⁶

F⁷

B♭⁷

F^m7

B♭⁷B♭^7♯5

E♭⁶G⁷

C⁷

F⁷

B♭⁷

E♭⁶C⁷

F⁷B♭⁷

F^m7

B♭⁷B♭^7♯5

E♭⁶G⁷

C⁷

A♭⁶A^dim7

E♭⁶_/B♭C⁷

F⁷B♭⁷

E♭⁶

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

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I

0Minor ii–V–i

4ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

13Dominant chains

14Different chords

Most used chords

B♭⁷×9
E♭⁶×6
C⁷×6
F⁷×6
F^m7×4
G⁷×3

Recorded on these albums

1955	The "Hawk" Talks Coleman Hawkins
1955	Music for Tired Lovers Woody Herman & Erroll Garner · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1956	Duets Sidney Bechet, Muggsy Spanier
1956	This is Teagarden! Jack Teagarden · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1956	Ruby Braff Featuring Dave McKenna Ruby Braff Featuring Dave McKenna
1957	New Tricks... Bing Crosby with Buddy Cole and His Trio · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1957	Make Love to Me Julie London
1958	Dinah Sings Bessie Smith Dinah Washington · “If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight”
1958	Jazz in Paris: Paris One Night Stand Earl Hines · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1958	Sax Gone Latin Georgie Auld · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1959	When You're Away Carmen McRae · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1959	Livin' With The Blues Barbara Dane
1960	And Then They Wrote... Teddy Wilson · “If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight”
1960	Swing, You Lovers Keely Smith
1960	The Happy Jazz of Rex Stewart Rex Stewart · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1961	Jazz Reunion Coleman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1968	"Live" & Wailing Carmen McRae · “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)”
1969	More Chords Milt Buckner
1975	Charleston James P. Johnson - Dick Hyman · “If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight”
1975	Hey Doc! Doc Cheatham
1978	Midnight Slows, Vol. 8 Illinois Jaquet, Hank Jones, Sir Charles Thompson, J.C. Heard & George Duvivier
1979	Bei Mir Bist Do Schoen Eiji Kitamura
1982	Swingin' in Violet Doctor Dixie Jazz Band, Pupi Avati
1986	Live At The Crescendo Art Tatum

Historic 78 rpm recordings

IF I COULD BE WITH YOU BØRGE ROGER HENRICHSEN OG HANS ORKESTER · Freddy Albeck · Creamer &… archive.org ↗
If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) Cliff Jackson's Quartet · Creamer · Johnson · Cliff Jackson · Pee… · 1944 archive.org ↗
If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) Cliff Jackson's Black & White Stompers · Cliff, Jackson · Pee Wee… · 1944 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home 28%	Hughie Cannon	G major	ABAC · 32	Medium-up swing
Ain't She Sweet 26%	Milton Ager	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing
Perdido 26%	Juan Tizol	B♭ major	AABA · 32	Latin
Who's Sorry Now? 26%	Snyder-Kalmar-Ruby	C major	AB · 32	Ballad
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home 24%	Warfield-Williams	G major	AA · 34	Medium slow
Scrapple From The Apple 24%	Charlie Parker	F major	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Little Peace In C For You 23%	Michel Petrucciani	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Paper Doll 22%	Johnny Black	F major	A · 16	Slow swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is If I Could Be With You in?

If I Could Be With You is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote If I Could Be With You?

If I Could Be With You was written by James Johnson.

What is the form of If I Could Be With You?

If I Could Be With You has 2 sections (AB) with 16 bars in total.

How fast is If I Could Be With You played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to If I Could Be With You?

The opening bars are Ebmaj7 Edim7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 Edim7 | Fm7 Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.