Standards · 1947
Nature Boy chords & key
“Nature Boy” is a jazz standard by Eden Ahbez from 1947. It is usually played in D minor as a ballad, and the 32-bar ABAC form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 6 minor ii–V–i, uses 9 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks and in 1 transcribed solo.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — D minor
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Dm×12
- A7♭9×12
- Em7♭5×7
- E7♭9×3
- Dmmaj7×2
- Dm7×2
Characteristics
- ABAC song form
History
"Nature Boy" is a song first recorded by American jazz singer Nat King Cole. It was released on March 29, 1948, as a single by Capitol Records, and later appeared on the 1961 album The Nat King Cole Story. It was written by eden ahbez as a tribute to Bill Pester, who practiced the Naturmensch and Lebensreform philosophies adopted by Ahbez. The lyrics of the song relate to a 1940s Los Angeles–based group called "Nature Boys", a subculture of proto-hippies of which Ahbez was a member. "Nature Boy" was released during the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) ban of 1948. It reached the top of the Billboard music charts and sold over a million copies, helping to establish Cole's solo career, and introducing him to the white music market. "Nature Boy" was the subject of lawsuits, with Yiddish composer Herman Yablokoff claiming that it was plagiarized from his song "Shvayg mayn harts" (שװײג מײן האַרץ, "Be Still My Heart").
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Recorded on these albums
Transcribed solos on Nature Boy
| John Coltrane tenor saxophone | 186 BPM |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Tempus Fugit 37% | D minor |
| Yesterdays 32% | D minor |
| Besame Mucho 31% | D minor |
| Petit Fleur 25% | G minor |
| Be-Bop 24% | F minor |
| We Will Meet Again 24% | C minor |
| Lullaby Of The Leaves 23% | C minor |
| Minor Mishap 21% | B♭ minor |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Nature Boy in?
Nature Boy is usually played in D minor. For B♭ instruments that is E minor, for E♭ instruments B minor.
Who wrote Nature Boy?
Nature Boy was written by Eden Ahbez (1947).
What is the form of Nature Boy?
Nature Boy has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Nature Boy played?
The usual groove is Ballad. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 186 BPM.
What are the chord changes to Nature Boy?
The opening bars are Dm | Em7b5 A7b9 | Dm | Em7b5 A7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.