Standards

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning chords & key

Key: C major
Form: AB
Bars: 18
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” is a jazz standard by Mann-Hilliard. It is usually played in C major as a ballad, and the 18-bar AB form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 13 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor, E minor and C major. In this atlas it appears on 5 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

C^maj7C⁷

C⁶C^aug

C^maj7C^aug

D^m7G⁷

E^m7♭5A⁷

G♭^m7♭5B⁷

E^m7A⁷D^m7G⁷

C^maj7C⁷

C⁶C^aug

C^maj7E^m7♭5

A⁷

D^m7E♭^dim7

E^m7A⁷

D^m7

A♭^7♯11G⁷

C⁶

D^m7G⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

1Major ii–V–I

4Minor ii–V–i

9ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

13Different chords

Most used chords

D^m7×6
G⁷×5
C^maj7×4
A⁷×4
C⁶×3
C^aug×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

D minor, E minor and C major

Recorded on these albums

1963	Sinatra’s Sinatra Frank Sinatra · “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”
1965	A Man and His Music Frank Sinatra · “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”
1966	A Time for Love Tony Bennett · “In the Wee Small Hours”
2009	Love Is the Answer Barbra Streisand · “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”
2026	Early Years - Selected Albums 1956-58 Johnny Mathis · “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Bye Bye Blackbird 33%	Ray Henderson	F major	AB · 32	Medium swing
Come Back To Me 26%	Alan Lerner, Burton Lane	F major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Ceora 23%	Lee Morgan	A♭ major	ABAC · 32	Bossa nova
Call Me Irresponsible 22%	Jimmy Van-Heusen	F major	ABB · 28	Medium swing
Pure Imagination 22%	Anthony Newley	E♭ major	AABA · 35	Ballad
Billy Boy 21%	Traditional	C major	AABA · 56	Medium-up swing
In Love In Vain 21%	Leo Robin Jerome Kern	B♭ major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
It's Been A Long Long Time 21%	Jule Styne	F major	ABA · 16	Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning in?

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning?

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning was written by Mann-Hilliard.

What is the form of In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning?

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning has 2 sections (AB) with 18 bars in total.

How fast is In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning?

The opening bars are Cmaj7 C7 | C6 Caug | Cmaj7 Caug | Dm7 G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.