Standards
One Note Samba chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- ABA
- Bars
- 40
- Groove
- Bossa nova
- Time signature
- 4/4
“One Note Samba” is a jazz standard by Antonio-Carlos Jobim. It is usually played in B♭ major as a bossa nova, and the 40-bar ABA form has 3 sections. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 18 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, D♭ major and B major. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.
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
- Dm7×5
- D♭7×5
- Cm7×5
- B7♯11×5
- A♭7×3
- Fm7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major, D♭ major and B major
Recorded on these albums
| 1963 | New Wave Dizzy Gillespie |
| 1971 | Sinatra & Company Frank Sinatra · “One Note Samba (Samba de uma nota so)” |
| 1976 | Fitzgerald and Pass… Again Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass · “One Note Samba (Samba de uma nota só)” |
| 1981 | Ella Abraça Jobim: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “One Note Samba (Samba de uma nota só)” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
Frequently asked questions
What key is One Note Samba in?
One Note Samba is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote One Note Samba?
One Note Samba was written by Antonio-Carlos Jobim.
What is the form of One Note Samba?
One Note Samba has 3 sections (ABA) with 40 bars in total.
How fast is One Note Samba played?
The usual groove is Bossa nova.
What are the chord changes to One Note Samba?
The opening bars are Dm7 | Db7 | Cm7 | B7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.