Standards
Island Birdie chords & key
“Island Birdie” is a jazz standard by McCoy Tyner. Most bands play it in E♭ major, calypso; the tune runs 32 bars in AABB form. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major and C minor.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B♭7×9
- Fm7×8
- A♭7×8
- E♭6×6
- G♭m7×6
- B7×6
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major and C minor
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| My Baby Just Cares For Me 30% | A major |
| On The Trail 27% | F major |
| Indian Summer 24% | G major |
| Everything I Have Is Yours 23% | C major |
| There Is No Greater Love 23% | B♭ major |
| The Good Life 22% | A♭ major |
| Dinah 21% | G major |
| Falling In Love With Love 21% | B♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Island Birdie in?
Island Birdie is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote Island Birdie?
Island Birdie was written by McCoy Tyner.
What is the form of Island Birdie?
Island Birdie has 4 sections (AABB) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Island Birdie played?
The usual groove is Calypso.
What are the chord changes to Island Birdie?
The opening bars are Eb6 | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb6 | Fm7 Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.