Standards · 1934
Solitude chords & key
“Solitude” is a jazz standard by Duke Ellington from 1934. Most bands play it in E♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 13 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major and A♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 21 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
- E♭maj7×9
- B♭7×6
- E♭7×5
- Fm7×5
- A♭maj7×3
- D♭7♯11×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major and A♭ major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"(In My) Solitude" is a 1934 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. It is considered a jazz standard and has been recorded numerous times by artists such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Ellington reportedly composed it in a recording studio in 20 minutes, as his orchestra had arrived with only three pieces to record and required another. It is in D♭ major and follows an AABA form (although "the IV chord in measure 3 is replaced by a II7 the second time"). According to Ellington, the title was suggested by trumpeter Arthur Whetsel.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- SOLITUDE VICTOR SILVESTER and HIS BALLROOM ORCHESTRA · DE LANGE · MILLS ·… archive.org ↗
- SOLITUDE JOE SULLIVAN AND HIS CAFE SOCIETY ORCHESTRA · De Lange · Mills ·… · 1944 archive.org ↗
- SOLITUDE Dave Matthews and his Orchestra · Dave Matthews · Ellington · Mills… · 1945 archive.org ↗
- Solitude Valaida Snow · Raymon Joel Sanns Orch. · Ellington · DeLange · Mills… · 1946 archive.org ↗
- Solitude Tiny Grimes His Guitar and Rocking Highlanders · Ellington · Mills ·… · 1951 archive.org ↗
- SOLITUDE TINY GRIMES His Guitar and Rocking Highlanders · Ellington · Mills ·… · 1951 archive.org ↗
- SOLITUDE TINY GRIMES His Guitar and Rocking Highlanders · Ellington · Mills ·… · 1951 archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Bunko 47% | F major |
| Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home 40% | G major |
| Big Nick 33% | G major |
| Just You, Just Me 33% | C major |
| The Preacher 33% | F major |
| Stormy Weather 31% | G major |
| September In The Rain 30% | E♭ major |
| A Smooth One 29% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Solitude in?
Solitude is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote Solitude?
Solitude was written by Duke Ellington (1934).
What is the form of Solitude?
Solitude has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Solitude played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Solitude?
The opening bars are Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 | Db7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.