Standards · 1939
Moonlight Serenade chords & key
“Moonlight Serenade” is a jazz standard by Miller-Parish from 1939. Most bands play it in F major, ballad; the tune runs 44 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres F major, A minor and G minor. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — F major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Fmaj7×13
- F6×8
- Gm7×8
- C7×7
- D7♭9×6
- C7♯5×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
F major, A minor and G minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Moonlight Serenade" is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was an immediate phenomenon when released in May 1939 as an instrumental arrangement, though it had been adopted and performed as Miller's signature tune as early as 1938, even before it had been given the name "Moonlight Serenade". In 1991, Miller's recording of "Moonlight Serenade" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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Recorded on these albums
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| My Buddy 23% | G major |
| That's Amore (That's Love) 23% | B♭ major |
| A Fine Romance 22% | C major |
| Fine And Dandy 22% | F major |
| A Blossom Fell 21% | B♭ major |
| Don't Take Your Love From Me 20% | C major |
| Exactly Like You 20% | C major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Moonlight Serenade in?
Moonlight Serenade is usually played in F major. For B♭ instruments that is G major, for E♭ instruments D major.
Who wrote Moonlight Serenade?
Moonlight Serenade was written by Miller-Parish (1939).
What is the form of Moonlight Serenade?
Moonlight Serenade has 4 sections (AABA) with 44 bars in total.
How fast is Moonlight Serenade played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Moonlight Serenade?
The opening bars are F6 | Abdim7 | Gm7 | C7 C7#5. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.