Standards

I've Never Been In Love Before chords & key

Key: B♭ major
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium swing
Time signature: 4/4

“I've Never Been In Love Before” is a jazz standard by Frank Loesser. Most bands play it in B♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 9 major ii–V–I cadences and 6 minor ii–V–i, uses 17 different chords and moves between the key centres B♭ major, C minor, E♭ major, G minor and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major

B♭⁶G^m7

C^m7F⁷

B♭^maj7E♭⁷

D^m7G⁷

C^m7

F⁷

D^m7G⁷

C^m7F⁷

B♭^maj7

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭^maj7

C^m7F⁷

B♭^maj7

A^m7♭5D^7♭9

G^m7G^m7_/F

E^m7♭5A⁷

D^maj7

C^m7F⁷

B♭⁶G^m7

C^m7F⁷

B♭^maj7E♭⁷

D^m7G⁷

C^m7

F⁷

B♭⁶

C^m7F⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

9Major ii–V–I

6Minor ii–V–i

17ii–V moves

3Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

17Different chords

Most used chords

C^m7×10
F⁷×10
B♭^maj7×5
B♭⁶×4
G^m7×4
D^m7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

B♭ major, C minor, E♭ major, G minor and D minor

Characteristics

AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1993	Back to Broadway Barbra Streisand · “I’ve Never Been in Love Before”
2002	It’s Easy to Remember Bing Crosby · “I’ve Never Been in Love Before”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Oh, Lady Be Good 41%	George Gershwin	G major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing
Billy Boy 38%	Traditional	C major	AABA · 56	Medium-up swing
Fly Me To The Moon 38%	Bart Howard	C major	AB · 32	Medium swing
If There Is Someone Lovelier 38%	Dietz-Schwartz	C major	ABC · 28	Ballad
In Love In Vain 36%	Leo Robin Jerome Kern	B♭ major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
I Want To Be Happy 35%	Vincent Youmans	C major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing
Misty 34%	Erroll Garner	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Ballad
Try A Little Tenderness 34%	Harry Woods	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is I've Never Been In Love Before in?

I've Never Been In Love Before is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.

Who wrote I've Never Been In Love Before?

I've Never Been In Love Before was written by Frank Loesser.

What is the form of I've Never Been In Love Before?

I've Never Been In Love Before has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is I've Never Been In Love Before played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to I've Never Been In Love Before?

The opening bars are Bb6 Gm7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 Eb7 | Dm7 G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.