Standards
Samba De Orfeu chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- AAB
- Bars
- 40
- Groove
- Bossa nova
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Samba De Orfeu” is a jazz standard by Luiz Bonfa. It is usually played in C major as a bossa nova, and the 40-bar AAB form has 3 sections. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 13 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor, C major, F major and E♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Cmaj7×12
- Dm7×10
- G7×10
- A7×3
- F7♯11×2
- Em7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
D minor, C major, F major and E♭ major
Recorded on these albums
| 1966 | Movie Song Album Tony Bennett · “Samba de Orfeu” |
| 1966 | Soul Español Oscar Peterson · “Samba de Orfeu” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Broadway 48% | B♭ major |
| Social Call 42% | D♭ major |
| Thou Swell 40% | E♭ major |
| I Want To Be Happy 39% | C major |
| Bunko 35% | F major |
| Billy Boy 34% | C major |
| When You're Smilin' 33% | B♭ major |
| Honeysuckle Rose 31% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Samba De Orfeu in?
Samba De Orfeu is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote Samba De Orfeu?
Samba De Orfeu was written by Luiz Bonfa.
What is the form of Samba De Orfeu?
Samba De Orfeu has 3 sections (AAB) with 40 bars in total.
How fast is Samba De Orfeu played?
The usual groove is Bossa nova.
What are the chord changes to Samba De Orfeu?
The opening bars are Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.