ENDEIT

Standards

Misterioso chords & key

Thelonious Monk

Key
B♭ major
Form
A
Bars
12
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4

“Misterioso” is a jazz standard by Thelonious Monk. It is usually played in B♭ major as a medium swing, and the 12-bar A form repeats as one section. Its changes follow the 12-bar blues.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major

A
B♭7
E♭7
B♭7
B♭7
E♭7
E♭7
B♭7
B♭7
Cm7
F7
B♭7
B♭7♭5

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

Harmonic analysis

0Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
1ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
3Dominant chains
5Different chords

Most used chords

  • B♭7×6
  • E♭7×3
  • Cm7×1
  • F7×1
  • B♭7♭5×1

Characteristics

  • 12-bar blues

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Trane’s Blues 100% John Coltrane B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Parker's Mood 83% Charlie Parker B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Tenor Madness 83% Sonny Rollins B♭ major A · 12 Medium-up swing
Blues In The Closet 80% Oscar Pettiford A♭ major A · 12 Medium-up swing
Sonnymoon For Two 63% Sonny Rollins B♭ major A · 12 Medium-up swing
Things Ain't What They Used To Be 63% Duke Ellington D♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Chasin' The Trane 33% John Coltrane F major A · 12 Up-tempo swing
Blue Monk 29% Thelonious Monk B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Misterioso in?

Misterioso is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.

Who wrote Misterioso?

Misterioso was written by Thelonious Monk.

What is the form of Misterioso?

Misterioso has 1 sections (A) with 12 bars in total.

How fast is Misterioso played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Misterioso?

The opening bars are Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.