Standards

One Morning In May chords & key

Key
G major
Form
AAB
Bars
48
Groove
Up-tempo swing
Time signature
4/4

“One Morning In May” is a jazz standard by Hoagy Carmichael. Most bands play it in G major, up-tempo swing; the tune runs 48 bars in AAB form. Harmonically it contains 9 major ii–V–I cadences and 5 minor ii–V–i, uses 18 different chords and moves between the key centres G major, A minor, C major, B♭ major and E minor. In this atlas it appears on 18 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — G major

A
Gmaj7
Em7
Am7
D7
Bm7
E7♭9
Am7
D7
Gmaj7
Dm7G7
Cmaj7
Cmmaj7
1.
Bm7
E7
Am7
D7
2.
Bm7E7
Am7D7
G6
G6
B
Am7
D7
Gmaj7
Gmaj7
Am7
D7
Gmaj7
Gmaj7
Cm7
F7
A♯maj7
Em7A7
F♯m7B7
Em7A7
Am7
D7

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

Harmonic analysis

9Major ii–V–I
5Minor ii–V–i
19ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
18Different chords

Most used chords

  • Am7×9
  • D7×9
  • Gmaj7×8
  • Em7×4
  • Bm7×4
  • E7♭9×2

Key centres reached by ii–V

G major, A minor, C major, B♭ major and E minor

Recorded on these albums

1957 The Touch of Your Lips
Mel Tormé · “One Morning in May”
1959 Aspects
Benny Carter · “One Morning in May”
1968 Moody Mann
Herbie Mann · “One Morning in May”
1971 The Music of Hoagy Carmichael
Bob Wilber and Maxine Sullivan · “One Morning in May”
1976 Commitment
Jim Hall · “One Morning in May”
1981 In Hoagland
Georgie Fame & Annie Ross · “One Morning in May”
1985 Frankly Speaking
Frank Foster · “One Morning in May”
1986 Solo Flight
Bucky Pizzarelli · “One Morning in May”
1991 Smooth as Velvet
Mel Tormé · “One Morning in May”
1996 Prelude to a Kiss
Mel Tormé · “One Morning in May”
1997 Sultry Serenade
Herbie Mann · “One Morning in May”
1999 The Queen, Vol.2: I Only Have Eyes For You
Maxine Sullivan
2001 One Morning in May
Bucky Pizzarelli · “One Morning in May”
2001 In My Dreams
Dusko Goykovich · “One Morning in May”
2003 What Is There To Say ?
Dick Hyman & Ray Kennedy · “One Morning in May”
2003 With All My Heart
Harvey Mason · “One Morning in May”
2009 Le Guinness World Record 'The Works'
Chilly Gonzales · “One Morning in May”
2020 Anthology: The Deluxe Collection (Remastered)
Benny Carter · “One Morning in May (Remastered)”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket 39% Irving Berlin C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Misty 37% Erroll Garner E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Try A Little Tenderness 37% Harry Woods E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Little Girl Blue 36% Richard Rodgers F major AAB · 44 Medium swing
In Love In Vain 35% Leo Robin Jerome Kern B♭ major ABAC · 32 Medium swing
Taking A Chance On Love 35% Vernon Duke F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Billy Boy 34% Traditional C major AABA · 56 Medium-up swing
Deed I Do 34% Hirsch-Rose C major AABA · 32 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is One Morning In May in?

One Morning In May is usually played in G major. For B♭ instruments that is A major, for E♭ instruments E major.

Who wrote One Morning In May?

One Morning In May was written by Hoagy Carmichael.

What is the form of One Morning In May?

One Morning In May has 3 sections (AAB) with 48 bars in total.

How fast is One Morning In May played?

The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.

What are the chord changes to One Morning In May?

The opening bars are Gmaj7 | Em7 | Am7 | D7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.