Standards
It Only Happens When I Dance With You chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- AA
- Bars
- 36
- Groove
- Medium-up swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“It Only Happens When I Dance With You” is a jazz standard by Irving Berlin. It is usually played in C major as a medium-up swing, and the 36-bar AA form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 13 different chords and moves between the key centres C major and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Cmaj7×7
- G7×7
- Dm7×6
- D♭dim7×4
- Dm7♭5×2
- Fmaj7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
C major and D minor
Recorded on these albums
| 2015 | The Complete Hits 1943-62 Frank Sinatra · “It Only Happens When I Dance with You” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
Frequently asked questions
What key is It Only Happens When I Dance With You in?
It Only Happens When I Dance With You is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote It Only Happens When I Dance With You?
It Only Happens When I Dance With You was written by Irving Berlin.
What is the form of It Only Happens When I Dance With You?
It Only Happens When I Dance With You has 2 sections (AA) with 36 bars in total.
How fast is It Only Happens When I Dance With You played?
The usual groove is Medium-up swing.
What are the chord changes to It Only Happens When I Dance With You?
The opening bars are Cmaj7 | Dbdim7 | Dm7 | G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.