Standards
Star Dust chords & key
“Star Dust” is a jazz standard by Hoagy Carmichael. Most bands play it in D♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AA form. Harmonically it contains 4 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres D♭ major and E♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — D♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- E♭m7×12
- A♭7×9
- D♭maj7×8
- B♭7×7
- Fm7×6
- B♭m7×5
Key centres reached by ii–V
D♭ major and E♭ minor
Recorded on these albums
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- Star Dust ERNIE ENGLUND · Carmichael archive.org ↗
- STAR DUST EMIL STERN et son Orchestre · Haagy Carmichaël archive.org ↗
- STAR DUST COLEMAN HAWKINS · Django Reinhart · Grapelley · Carmichael · 1935 archive.org ↗
- STAR DUST GLENN MILLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Carmichael · 1942 archive.org ↗
- STAR DUST JOHNNIE GUARNIERI · Carmichael · Parish · 1948 archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| After You've Gone 25% | B♭ major |
| Misty 23% | E♭ major |
| It's Magic 22% | B♭ major |
| Down In The Depths 21% | G major |
| How Are Things In Glocca Morra 21% | F major |
| Little Girl Blue 20% | F major |
| Mona Lisa 20% | E♭ major |
| Portrait Of Jennie 20% | E♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Star Dust in?
Star Dust is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.
Who wrote Star Dust?
Star Dust was written by Hoagy Carmichael.
What is the form of Star Dust?
Star Dust has 2 sections (AA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Star Dust played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Star Dust?
The opening bars are Dbmaj7 | Gb7#11 | F7b9 | Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.