Standards

Stairway To The Stars chords & key

Key: C major
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“Stairway To The Stars” is a jazz standard by Matt Maineck. It is usually played in C major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 23 different chords and moves between the key centres C major, F major, E minor and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

C⁶G^7♯5

G^m7C⁷

F^maj7

B♭^7♯11

A^m7D⁷

D^m7G⁷

E⁷A⁷

D^m7G⁷

C⁶F⁷

G♭^m7♭5B^7♭9

E^m7F^7♯11

E^m7B^7sus

E^m7B^7♭9

E^m7♭5A^7♭9

D^m7E♭^7♯11

D^m7A^7sus

D^m7D⁷

D^m7_/GG⁷

C⁶G^7♯5

G^m7C⁷

F^maj7

B♭^7♯11

A^m7D⁷

D^m7G⁷

C⁶A^m7

D⁷G⁷

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

7Major ii–V–I

2Minor ii–V–i

14ii–V moves

5Tritone substitutions

2Dominant chains

23Different chords

Most used chords

D^m7×7
G⁷×6
C⁶×5
D⁷×5
A^m7×4
G^7♯5×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

C major, F major, E minor and D minor

Characteristics

AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1949	Erroll Garner at the Piano Erroll Garner · “Stairway to the Stars”
1951	Dynamic Dinah! The Great Voice of Dinah Washington Dinah Washington · “Stairway to the Stars”
1952	Favorites, Volume 1 Sonny Stitt · “Stairway to the Stars”
1953	Holiday in Piano Lennie Tristano, Arnold Ross
1956	Piano Interpretations By Bud Powell Bud Powell
1956	Blue Serge Serge Chaloff · “Stairway to the Stars”
1957	Very Cool Lee Konitz · “Stairway to the Stars”
1959	Some Like It Hot Barney Kessel · “Stairway to the Stars”
1960	Hello Love Ella Fitzgerald · “Stairway to the Stars”
1960	The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green Urbie Green And His Orchestra · “Stairway to the Stars”
1961	I’ll Buy You a Star Johnny Mathis with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra · “Stairway to the Stars”
1962	Bags Meets Wes! Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery · “Stairway to the Stars”
1962	Adventures in Jazz Stan Kenton · “Stairway to the Stars”
1963	Uniquely Mancini Henry Mancini · “Stairway to the Stars”
1963	Our Man in Paris Dexter Gordon · “Stairway to the Stars”
1964	I Just Dropped By to Say Hello Johnny Hartman · “Stairway to the Stars”
1967	Music For A First Love Dinah Washington
1969	Three Generation Jam Bill Coleman · “Stairway to the Stars”
1979	Freedom Kenny Burrell · “Stairway to the Stars”
1980	Don’t Look Back Natalie Cole · “Stairway to the Stars”
1982	Feeling Good Roy Ayers · “Stairway to the Stars”
1987	The Complete Benny Carter on Keynote Benny Carter · “Stairway to the Stars”
1991	Brazilliance Laurindo Almeida featuring Bud Shank · “Stairway to the Stars”
1992	Prezervation Stan Getz · “Stairway to the Stars”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Stairway to the Stars Errol Garner · Malneck · Signorelli · Parish archive.org ↗
Stairway to the Stars Arnold Ross Quartet · Parish · Malneck · Signorelli · Harry Lim archive.org ↗
STAIRWAY TO THE STARS archive.org ↗
Stairway to the Stars Schoolboy Porter and The Chanceteers · J. Porter · Dungy · Vacirco ·… · 1951 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Mountain Greenery 28%	Richard Rodgers	C major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing
Look For The Silver Lining 21%	Jerome Kern	E♭ major	ABA · 32	Medium swing
The Blue Room 20%	Richard Rodgers	F major	AABC · 32	Medium swing
Where Are You? 20%	Jimmy McHugh	G major	AABA · 32	Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is Stairway To The Stars in?

Stairway To The Stars is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote Stairway To The Stars?

Stairway To The Stars was written by Matt Maineck.

What is the form of Stairway To The Stars?

Stairway To The Stars has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Stairway To The Stars played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to Stairway To The Stars?

The opening bars are C6 G7#5 | Gm7 C7 | Fmaj7 | Bb7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.