Standards
Little Rootie Tootie chords & key
- Key
- A♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Little Rootie Tootie” is a jazz standard by Thelonious Monk. It is usually played in A♭ major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 23 different chords and moves between the key centres A♭ major and B minor.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- A♭maj7×9
- E♭7×9
- F7×7
- B♭m7×7
- A♭7×4
- D♭maj7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
A♭ major and B minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Big Nick 27% | G major |
| It's Only a Paper Moon 23% | G major |
| L.O.V.E. 22% | G major |
| Stormy Weather 22% | G major |
| Je Ne Sais Pas 21% | F major |
| Scrapple From The Apple 21% | F major |
| Flat Foot Floogee 20% | F major |
| The Preacher 20% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Little Rootie Tootie in?
Little Rootie Tootie is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.
Who wrote Little Rootie Tootie?
Little Rootie Tootie was written by Thelonious Monk.
What is the form of Little Rootie Tootie?
Little Rootie Tootie has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Little Rootie Tootie played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Little Rootie Tootie?
The opening bars are Abmaj7 F7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 F7 | Bbm7 Eb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.