Standards
My Little Brown Book chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABC
- Bars
- 34
- Groove
- Slow swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“My Little Brown Book” is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn. It is usually played in B♭ major as a slow swing, and the 34-bar AABC form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 28 different chords and moves between the key centres D♭ major, B♭ major, B major and B♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- F7♯5×4
- A♭7×4
- Cm7×4
- F7×4
- B♭6×3
- B♭7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
D♭ major, B♭ major, B major and B♭ minor
Recorded on these albums
Frequently asked questions
What key is My Little Brown Book in?
My Little Brown Book is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote My Little Brown Book?
My Little Brown Book was written by Billy Strayhorn.
What is the form of My Little Brown Book?
My Little Brown Book has 4 sections (AABC) with 34 bars in total.
How fast is My Little Brown Book played?
The usual groove is Slow swing.
What are the chord changes to My Little Brown Book?
The opening bars are Bb6 F7#5 | Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | Ebm6 Ab7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.