Standards
St. James Infirmary chords & key
- Key
- F minor
- Form
- A
- Bars
- 8
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“St. James Infirmary” is a jazz standard by Joe Primrose. It is usually played in F minor as a medium swing, and the 8-bar A form repeats as one section. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — F minor
A
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
0Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
0ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
3Different chords
Most used chords
- Fm×7
- C7×6
- B♭m×2
Recorded on these albums
| 2026 | Songbook Allen Toussaint · “St. James Infirmary (live at Joe's Pub, New York City / 2009)” |
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- ST. JAMES INFIRMARY JACK TEAGARDEN'S BIG EIGHT · Jack Teagardem · Rex Stewart · Barney… · 1940 archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Fever 25% | A minor |
| Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps 22% | E minor |
| Tempus Fugit 22% | D minor |
Frequently asked questions
What key is St. James Infirmary in?
St. James Infirmary is usually played in F minor. For B♭ instruments that is G minor, for E♭ instruments D minor.
Who wrote St. James Infirmary?
St. James Infirmary was written by Joe Primrose.
What is the form of St. James Infirmary?
St. James Infirmary has 1 sections (A) with 8 bars in total.
How fast is St. James Infirmary played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to St. James Infirmary?
The opening bars are Fm C7 | Fm C7 | Fm Bbm | Fm C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.