Standards
It's Been A Long Long Time chords & key
“It's Been A Long Long Time” is a jazz standard by Jule Styne. Most bands play it in F major, ballad; the tune runs 16 bars in ABA form. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 14 different chords and moves between the key centres G minor and F major. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — F major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Gm7×6
- Fmaj7×4
- C7×4
- F6×3
- F×2
- D7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
G minor and F major
Recorded on these albums
| 1964 | Hello, Dolly! Louis Armstrong · “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” |
| 1998 | Frank Sinatra - Legend Vocal Gold Series Frank Sinatra · “It's Been A LOng, Long Time” |
| 2000 | Don't Fence Me In Bing Crosby · “It's Been a Long, Long Time” |
| 2002 | It’s Easy to Remember Bing Crosby · “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Bye Bye Blackbird 37% | F major |
| Down In The Depths 26% | G major |
| You Can Depend On Me 26% | F major |
| Come Back To Me 24% | F major |
| Fools Rush In 24% | C major |
| How Are Things In Glocca Morra 24% | F major |
| I Wish I Knew 24% | G major |
| Violets For Your Furs 23% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is It's Been A Long Long Time in?
It's Been A Long Long Time is usually played in F major. For B♭ instruments that is G major, for E♭ instruments D major.
Who wrote It's Been A Long Long Time?
It's Been A Long Long Time was written by Jule Styne.
What is the form of It's Been A Long Long Time?
It's Been A Long Long Time has 3 sections (ABA) with 16 bars in total.
How fast is It's Been A Long Long Time played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to It's Been A Long Long Time?
The opening bars are F Fmaj7 | F6 | F6 Gbdim7 | C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.