Standards · 1954
Oleo chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1954
“Oleo” is a jazz standard by Sonny Rollins from 1954. Most bands play it in B♭ major, up-tempo swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 3 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres C minor and B♭ major. The bridge uses the cycle of dominants known from Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” — so-called rhythm changes. In this atlas it appears in 4 transcribed solos.
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
- F7×11
- G7×9
- Cm7×9
- Dm7×4
- B♭maj7×3
- Fm7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
C minor and B♭ major
Characteristics
- Rhythm changes
- AABA song form
History
"Oleo" is a hard bop composition by Sonny Rollins, written in 1954. It has become a jazz standard, and has been performed by numerous jazz artists such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Transcribed solos on Oleo
| John Coltrane tenor saxophone | 266 BPM |
| Miles Davis trumpet | 271 BPM |
| Miles Davis trumpet | 268 BPM |
| Red Garland piano | 265 BPM |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Anthropology 100% | B♭ major |
| Moose The Mooche 100% | B♭ major |
| No Moe 100% | B♭ major |
| Passport 100% | B♭ major |
| Salt Peanuts 100% | B♭ major |
| Shaw 'Nuff 100% | B♭ major |
| The Theme 100% | B♭ major |
| Thriving From A Riff 77% | B♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Oleo in?
Oleo is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote Oleo?
Oleo was written by Sonny Rollins (1954).
What is the form of Oleo?
Oleo has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Oleo played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 266 BPM, 271 BPM, 268 BPM and 265 BPM.
What are the chord changes to Oleo?
The opening bars are Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.