Standards · 1994

Let's Face The Music And Dance chords & key

Irving Berlin · Lyrics: Irving Berlin

Key: C major
Form: ABCA
Bars: 44
Groove: Medium swing
Time signature: 4/4
Year: 1994

“Let's Face The Music And Dance” is a jazz standard by Irving Berlin from 1994. It is usually played in C major as a medium swing, and the 44-bar ABCA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres C minor, A♭ major, C major and F major. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

C^m

D^m7♭5

G^7♭9

C^m

D^m7♭5

G^7♭9

C^maj7

G^m7C⁷

F^maj7

B♭⁷

C^m

D^m7♭5G^7♭9

C^m

C^mC^m6

C^mmaj7C^m7

G⁷

A♭⁷

D^m7_/G

G⁷

C⁶

C⁷

F^maj7

B♭⁷

C⁶

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

G⁷

G^7♭9

A^m7

B♭⁷

D^m7

G⁷

C⁶

G^7♭9

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

Harmonic analysis

6Major ii–V–I

3Minor ii–V–i

9ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

20Different chords

Most used chords

C^m×8
G^7♭9×5
G⁷×5
A♭^maj7×4
D^m7♭5×3
B♭⁷×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

C minor, A♭ major, C major and F major

History

"Let's Face the Music and Dance" is a song published in 1936 by Irving Berlin for the film Follow the Fleet, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and featured in a celebrated dance duet with Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The jazz song has also been covered by various artists years following its release, including Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Todd Gordon and others.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1956	Pick Yourself Up With Anita O’Day Anita O’Day · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1957	The Beat of My Heart Tony Bennett · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1958	Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1959	Swing, Swang, Swingin’ Jackie McLean · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1960	The Steve Lawrence Sound Steve Lawrence · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1961	Ring-a-Ding Ding! Frank Sinatra · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1962	Portrait of Sheila Sheila Jordan · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1962	Linger Awhile Vic Damone · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1962	Inta Somethin' Kenny Dorham & Jackie McLean · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1963	I Wanna Be Around Tony Bennett · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1964	Let’s Face the Music! Nat King Cole · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1967	Matt Sings, Nelson Swings Matt Monro & Nelson Riddle · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1980	Trilogy: Past Present Future Frank Sinatra · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1983	Old Time Feeling Sheila Jordan & Harvie Swartz · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1984	Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Irving Berlin Rosemary Clooney · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1987	Bennett / Berlin Tony Bennett · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1987	Days Aweigh Cassandra Wilson · “Let's Face the Music”
1987	Nelson Riddle: The Riddle Touch Nelson Riddle
1987	Classic Chris Connor · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1988	Crooner's Dream Guy Marchand & Claude Bolling Big Band · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”
1988	Helen Merrill Sings Irving Berlin Helen Merrill · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1994	I Left My Heart in San Francisco / I Wanna Be Around Tony Bennett · “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”
1995	Face the Music Dick Hyman · “Let's Face the Music & Dance”
1995	Such Sweet Sorrow Michael Feinstein · “Let's Face the Music and Dance”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Just You, Just Me 23%	Jesse Greer	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Let's Face The Music And Dance in?

Let's Face The Music And Dance is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote Let's Face The Music And Dance?

Let's Face The Music And Dance was written by Irving Berlin (1994).

What is the form of Let's Face The Music And Dance?

Let's Face The Music And Dance has 4 sections (ABCA) with 44 bars in total.

How fast is Let's Face The Music And Dance played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Let's Face The Music And Dance?

The opening bars are Cm | Cm | Dm7b5 | G7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.