Standards
Miles Ahead chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- ABA
- Bars
- 40
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Miles Ahead” is a jazz standard by Miles Davis. It is usually played in C major as a medium swing, and the 40-bar ABA form has 3 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor and F major. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Cmaj7×8
- Dm7×7
- Gm7×5
- Fmaj7×3
- A7×3
- B♭maj7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
D minor and F major
Recorded on these albums
| 1956 | Blue Haze Miles Davis |
| 1957 | Miles Ahead Miles Davis |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Miles Ahead in?
Miles Ahead is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote Miles Ahead?
Miles Ahead was written by Miles Davis.
What is the form of Miles Ahead?
Miles Ahead has 3 sections (ABA) with 40 bars in total.
How fast is Miles Ahead played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Miles Ahead?
The opening bars are Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.