Standards · 1953
Round Midnight chords & key
“Round Midnight” is a jazz standard by Thelonious Monk from 1953. Most bands play it in E♭ minor, ballad; the tune runs 33 bars in AAB form. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 5 minor ii–V–i, uses 37 different chords and moves between the key centres G♯ minor, G minor, F minor, E♭ minor and E♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 8 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ minor
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Cm7♭5×7
- D♭7×6
- A♭m7×6
- E♭m7×5
- B7×4
- B♭7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
G♯ minor, G minor, F minor, E♭ minor and E♭ major
History
"'Round Midnight" (sometimes titled "'Round About Midnight") is a 1943 composition by American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk that quickly became a jazz standard and has been recorded by a wide variety of artists. A version recorded by Monk's quintet was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1993. It is one of the most recorded jazz standards composed by a jazz musician.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
| 1956 | Collectors’ Items Miles Davis · “’Round Midnight” |
| 1957 | ’Round About Midnight Miles Davis · “'Round Midnight” |
| 1959 | Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants Miles Davis · “'Round Midnight” |
| 1961 | Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! Ella Fitzgerald · “'Round Midnight” |
| 1963 | Oscar Peterson & Nelson Riddle Oscar Peterson · “'Round Midnight” |
| 1978 | “Fine and Mellow”: Ella Fitzgerald Jams Ella Fitzgerald · “’Round Midnight” |
| 1982 | Quartet Herbie Hancock · “'Round Midnight” |
| 2026 | Kind of Lives Paolo Fresu |
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- 'Round Midnight Cootie Williams and his Orchestra · Monk · Williams · Hannighen · 1944 archive.org ↗
- 'ROUND MIDNIGHT COOTIE WILLIAMS and his ORCHESTRA · Monk · Williams · Hannighen · 1944 archive.org ↗
Frequently asked questions
What key is Round Midnight in?
Round Midnight is usually played in E♭ minor. For B♭ instruments that is F minor, for E♭ instruments C minor.
Who wrote Round Midnight?
Round Midnight was written by Thelonious Monk (1953).
What is the form of Round Midnight?
Round Midnight has 3 sections (AAB) with 33 bars in total.
How fast is Round Midnight played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Round Midnight?
The opening bars are Am7b5 | D7#9 | Gm7b5 | C7#9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.