Standards · 1955
St. Thomas chords & key
“St. Thomas” is a jazz standard by Sonny Rollins from 1955. It is usually played in C major as a latin, and the 16-bar A form repeats as one section. Harmonically it contains 3 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor and C major. In this atlas it appears in 2 transcribed solos.
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
- G7×4
- Cmaj7×3
- Dm7×3
- C6×3
- F7×2
- Em7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
D minor and C major
History
"St. Thomas" is among the most recognizable instrumentals in the repertoire of American jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Although Rollins is commonly credited as its composer, the tune is based on the traditional Bahamian folk song "Sponger Money" "Sponger Money" evolved into a nursery song in the Virgin Islands, which Rollins' mother sang to him when he was a child. Rollins noted that the tune bore a resemblance to a Danish folk song called "Det var en lørdag aften", which he believed to be the origin of "Sponger Money". "St. Thomas" became popular when it was released on Rollins's 1956 album Saxophone Colossus, though the tune had been recorded by pianist Randy Weston in 1955 under the title "Fire Down There", on his Get Happy album.
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Transcribed solos on St. Thomas
| Sonny Rollins tenor saxophone | 207 BPM |
| Sonny Rollins tenor saxophone | 224 BPM |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Honeysuckle Rose 38% | F major |
| The Cool One 33% | G major |
| Easy To Love 28% | G major |
| Shiny Stockings 27% | F major |
| Big Nick 25% | G major |
| I Should Care 24% | C major |
| If I Were A Bell 24% | F major |
| It's Only a Paper Moon 24% | G major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is St. Thomas in?
St. Thomas is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote St. Thomas?
St. Thomas was written by Sonny Rollins (1955).
What is the form of St. Thomas?
St. Thomas has 1 sections (A) with 16 bars in total.
How fast is St. Thomas played?
The usual groove is Latin. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 207 BPM and 224 BPM.
What are the chord changes to St. Thomas?
The opening bars are Cmaj7 F7 | Em7 A7 | Dm7 G7 | C6. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.