ENDEIT

Standards · 1940

In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) chords & key

Duke Ellington · Lyrics: Milt Gabler

Key
A♭ major
Form
ABAC
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1940

“In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone)” is a jazz standard by Duke Ellington from 1940. Most bands play it in A♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 12 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks and in 1 transcribed solo.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major

A
B♭7
E♭7
A♭6
A♭6
E♭m7
A♭7
D♭maj7
D♭maj7
B
D♭6
G♭7
A♭6
F7
B♭7
B♭7
E♭7
F7
A
B♭7
E♭7
A♭6
A♭6
E♭m7
A♭7
D♭maj7
D♭maj7
C
D♭7
Ddim7
A♭6/E♭
F7
B♭7
E♭7
A♭6
F7

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

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
2ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
7Dominant chains
12Different chords

Most used chords

  • A♭6×6
  • B♭7×5
  • E♭7×4
  • D♭maj7×4
  • F7×4
  • E♭m7×2

Characteristics

  • ABAC song form

History

"In a Mellow Tone", also known as "In a Mellotone", is a 1940 jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written later by Milt Gabler. The song's chord changes are based on the 1917 standard "Rose Room" by Art Hickman and Harry Williams, which Ellington had recorded in 1932. Ellington and his orchestra made the original recording of "In a Mellotone" (with that styling) on September 5, 1940. It features solos by bassist Jimmy Blanton, trumpeter Cootie Williams, and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, who plays in double-time. The recording is collected on The Blanton–Webster Band compilation. The version with lyrics and the better-known alternate title ("In a Mellow Tone") was first recorded by The Mills Brothers in 1955. The song has gone on to be recorded more than 400 times. Howard Stern used a recording of this song from Ellington's 1960 Blues in Orbit album as the opening theme to The Howard Stern Show from 1987 to 1994.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1953 Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington
Oscar Peterson · “In a Mellow Tone”
1955 Contrasts
Erroll Garner · “In a Mellow Tone”
1956 Memories of Ellington
Johnny Hodges · “In a Mellow Tone”
1957 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
Ella Fitzgerald · “In a Mellow Tone”
1957 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, Volume 2
Ella Fitzgerald · “In a Mellow Tone”
1957 The Genius of Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins · “In a Mellotone”
1959 Oscar Peterson Plays the Duke Ellington Song Book
Oscar Peterson · “In a Mellow Tone”
1959 Ben Webster and Associates
Ben Webster · “In a Mellow Tone”
1960 Blues in Orbit
Duke Ellington · “In a Mellow Tone”
1961 Recording Together for the First Time
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington · “In a Mellow Tone”
1961 Night Hawk
Coleman Hawkins · “In a Mellow Tone”
1962 Bashin’: The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith · “In a Mellow Tone”
1964 See You at the Fair
Ben Webster · “In a Mellow Tone”
1965 Straight, No Chaser
Wes Montgomery · “In a Mellow Tone”
1965 Straight Ahead!
Junior Mance · “In a Mellow Tone”
1965 Flip Philips - Revisited
Flip Philips · “In A Mellow Tone”
1969 !!!Live!!!
Billy Strayhorn · “In a Mellow Tone”
1970 Humming Bird
Paul Gonsalves · “In a Mellow Tone”
1972 Live at the Haarlemse Jazzclub
Ben Webster · “In a Mellowtone”
1974 Satin Doll
Stéphane Grappelli · “In a Mellow Tone”
1977 Tony Bennett / The McPartlands And Friends Make Beautiful Music
Tony Bennett · “In a Mellow Tone”
1977 Ellington Is Forever, Volume 2
Kenny Burrell · “In a Mellow Tone”
1977 A Tribute To Duke Ellington (With Strings)
Sonny Stitt · “In a Mellow Tone”
1978 Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real
Rahsaan Roland Kirk · “In a Mellow Tone”

Transcribed solos on In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone)

Art Pepper clarinet 168 BPM Eb-maj 25 - 26. 05.1979

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home 30% Hughie Cannon G major ABAC · 32 Medium-up swing
Tadd's Delight 30% Tadd Dameron A♭ major ABAC · 32 Medium-up swing
There'll Be Some Changes Made 29% Benton Overstreet B♭ major AB · 18 Medium swing
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me 28% Jimmy McHugh C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Rose Room 27% Art Hickman A♭ major ABAC · 32 Medium swing
Sometimes I'm Happy 27% Vincent Youmans F major ABAB · 32 Medium swing
Donna Lee 26% Charlie Parker A♭ major AB · 32 Up-tempo swing
Old Cape Cod 26% Rothrock-Vakus-Jeffrey E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) in?

In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.

Who wrote In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone)?

In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) was written by Duke Ellington (1940).

What is the form of In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone)?

In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) played?

The usual groove is Medium swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 168 BPM.

What are the chord changes to In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone)?

The opening bars are Bb7 | Eb7 | Ab6 | Ab6. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.