Standards · 1936
Poinciana chords & key
“Poinciana” is a jazz standard by Nat Simon from 1936. It is usually played in D major as a latin, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 7 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — D major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- A7sus×15
- D6×15
- Gm7×7
- Am/D×6
- Em7♭5×3
- A7♭9×3
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Poinciana" is a song by Nat Simon with English lyrics by Buddy Bernier and Spanish lyrics written in 1936 by Manuel Lliso. The royal poinciana tree is credited as the inspiration for the lyrics. Although at first the song wasn't a hit, in 1943, multiple recordings by popular orchestras and singers were made. In 1952, American singer Steve Lawrence made it to the pop top-25 charts with it. Since then, the song has had multiple inclusions in films, along with more recordings by popular artists, making the song a standard.
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Recorded on these albums
Frequently asked questions
What key is Poinciana in?
Poinciana is usually played in D major. For B♭ instruments that is E major, for E♭ instruments B major.
Who wrote Poinciana?
Poinciana was written by Nat Simon (1936).
What is the form of Poinciana?
Poinciana has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Poinciana played?
The usual groove is Latin.
What are the chord changes to Poinciana?
The opening bars are A7sus | A7sus | A7sus | A7sus. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.