Standards · 1942
Skylark chords & key
“Skylark” is a jazz standard by Hoagy Carmichael from 1942. Most bands play it in E♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 24 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, A♭ major and F minor. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- A♭maj7×8
- Fm7×7
- E♭maj7×6
- B♭7×6
- E♭6×5
- E♭maj7/G×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major, A♭ major and F minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Skylark" is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Hoagy Carmichael, published in 1941. The lilting melody has attracted many jazz interpretations for its technical complexity which, when mastered, delivers an expressive peacefulness. Mercer wrote the romantic lyrics following his affair with Judy Garland. The song is considered a jazz standard.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- Skylark Erroll Garner · Carmichael · Mercer · 1949 archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' 20% | E♭ major |
| Young And Foolish 20% | C major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Skylark in?
Skylark is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote Skylark?
Skylark was written by Hoagy Carmichael (1942).
What is the form of Skylark?
Skylark has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Skylark played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Skylark?
The opening bars are Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Ebmaj7/G Abmaj7 | Ebmaj7 A7#11 | Abmaj7 Gm7 C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.