Standards · 1962
Só Danço Samba chords & key
- Key
- C major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Bossa nova
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1962
“Só Danço Samba” is a jazz standard by Antonio-Carlos Jobim from 1962. Most bands play it in C major, bossa nova; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 9 different chords and moves between the key centres C major and F major. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.
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
- C6×7
- D7×7
- F7×5
- G7×5
- Dm7×3
- Fmaj7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
C major and F major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Só Danço Samba" (aka "Jazz 'n' Samba") is a bossa nova song composed in 1962 by Antônio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. English lyrics were later written by Norman Gimbel. On occasion, it has also been known as "Jazz Samba" and "I Only Dance Samba", an English translation of the original Portuguese title. In Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World, author Ruy Castro suggests that the song was part of a failed movement to invent a bossa nova dance. "Jobim, who had never danced in his life, had just finished writing 'Só danço samba' [Jazz 'n' Samba] with Vinicius, but it was without much conviction. So much so, in fact, that on hearing 'Só danço samba' for the first time, João Gilberto asked him, 'What's this Tomzinho?
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
| 2026 | Ao Vivo Eliane Elias |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Undecided 57% | C major |
| Move 37% | B♭ major |
| Cheers 32% | B♭ major |
| Don't Go To Strangers 32% | B♭ major |
| It Don't Mean A Thing 29% | B♭ major |
| Oh, Lady Be Good 29% | G major |
| When You're Smilin' 29% | B♭ major |
| I Like The Likes Of You 28% | E♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Só Danço Samba in?
Só Danço Samba is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote Só Danço Samba?
Só Danço Samba was written by Antonio-Carlos Jobim (1962).
What is the form of Só Danço Samba?
Só Danço Samba has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Só Danço Samba played?
The usual groove is Bossa nova.
What are the chord changes to Só Danço Samba?
The opening bars are C6 | F7 | D7 | D7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.