ENDEIT

Standards

Look To The Rainbow chords & key

Burton Lane

Key
E♭ major
Form
ABB
Bars
56
Groove
Jazz waltz
Time signature
3/4

“Look To The Rainbow” is a jazz standard by Burton Lane. It is usually played in E♭ major as a jazz waltz, and the 56-bar ABB form has 3 sections. Harmonically it contains 12 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 13 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, F minor and A♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 11 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

A
E♭6
A♭maj7
Gm7
Fm7B♭7
E♭6
B♭m7E♭7
A♭maj7
B♭7
Fm7
B♭7
Fm7
B♭7
B♭7
B♭7
A♭6
E♭6
B
×2
E♭maj7
Cm7
Fm7B♭7
E♭maj7
Fm7B♭7
E♭maj7
A♭maj7Am7♭5
B♭7
E♭maj7
Cm7
Fm7B♭7
E♭maj7
A♭6
Gm7C7
Fm7B♭7
E♭6
·
A♭maj7
E♭6/G
Fm7B♭7
E♭maj7
A♭6
Gm7C7
Fm7B♭7
E♭6

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

Harmonic analysis

12Major ii–V–I
3Minor ii–V–i
17ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
13Different chords

Most used chords

  • B♭7×18
  • Fm7×13
  • E♭maj7×11
  • E♭6×6
  • A♭maj7×5
  • Gm7×4

Key centres reached by ii–V

E♭ major, F minor and A♭ major

Recorded on these albums

1956 It’s a Lonesome Old Town
Kitty Kallen · “Look to the Rainbow”
1966 Look to the Rainbow
Astrud Gilberto · “Look to the Rainbow”
1968 Finian's Rainbow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Fred Astaire & Petula Clark
1977 Look to the Rainbow: Live in Europe
Al Jarreau · “Look to the Rainbow”
1988 The Men in My Life
Lena Horne · “Look to the Rainbow”
1990 On Broadway, Volume 2
Paul Motian · “Look to the Rainbow”
1990 Michael Feinstein Sings the Burton Lane Songbook, Volume 1
Michael Feinstein · “Look to the Rainbow”
1994 Lena Horne & Sammy Davis Jr.
Lena Horne & Sammy Davis Jr. · “Look to the Rainbow”
1997 Mothers & Daughters
Rosemary Clooney · “Look to the Rainbow”
2009 Look to the Rainbow: Jazz Standards from L.A.
Lisa Ono · “Look to the Rainbow”
— Jazz 'Round Midnight
Stan Getz · “Look to the Rainbow”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
The Party's Over 38% Styne-Comden-Green E♭ major AB · 36 Ballad
I Like The Likes Of You 31% Vernon Duke E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Deed I Do 30% Hirsch-Rose C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
I Want To Be Happy 30% Vincent Youmans C major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Ol' Man River 30% Jerome Kern E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Haunted Heart 28% Arthur Schwartz E♭ major ABAC · 36 Ballad
Blackberry Winter 27% Alec Wilder F major AABA · 32 Ballad
How Are Things In Glocca Morra 27% Burton Lane F major AAB · 30 Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is Look To The Rainbow in?

Look To The Rainbow is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote Look To The Rainbow?

Look To The Rainbow was written by Burton Lane.

What is the form of Look To The Rainbow?

Look To The Rainbow has 3 sections (ABB) with 56 bars in total.

How fast is Look To The Rainbow played?

The usual groove is Jazz waltz.

What are the chord changes to Look To The Rainbow?

The opening bars are Eb6 | Abmaj7 | Gm7 | Fm7 Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.