Standards
Strollin' chords & key
- Key
- D♭ major
- Form
- AA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Strollin'” is a jazz standard by Horace Silver. Most bands play it in D♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AA form. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 17 different chords and moves between the key centres D♭ major, F minor and E♭ minor. In this atlas it appears on 20 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
- D♭maj7×11
- A♭7×7
- E♭m7×6
- Fm7×4
- B♭m7×4
- Em7×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
D♭ major, F minor and E♭ minor
Recorded on these albums
| 1955 | Telefunken Blues Kenny Clarke · “Strollin” |
| 1958 | Blues From the Gutter Champion Jack Dupree · “Strollin’” |
| 1961 | Smooth as the Wind Blue Mitchell |
| 1961 | Shirley Scott Plays Horace Silver Shirley Scott |
| 1962 | Brother Jack Meets the Boss Jack McDuff and Gene Ammons |
| 1962 | Jazz With a Twist Slide Hampton |
| 1979 | Attica Blues Big Band - Live at the Palais des Glaces Archie Shepp · “Strollin” |
| 1984 | Mister B. Chet Baker |
| 1985 | Strollin' Chet Baker |
| 1989 | Lucky Four David Murray · “Strollin’ (for Jean Michel Basquiat)” |
| 1992 | Firefly Emily Remler |
| 1994 | Alone Too Long Tommy Flanagan |
| 1995 | Down Home Sam Jones |
| 1999 | Joy Ride Bob James |
| 2006 | Pictures of Me Viktoria Tolstoy |
| 2009 | Finger Poppin' Joey DeFrancesco |
| 2010 | The Sesjun Radio Shows Chet Baker |
| 2015 | Live in Marciac August 5th 2014 Ahmad Jamal |
| 2017 | Serenade For Horace Louis Hayes |
| 2021 | The Sam Jones Collection Sam Jones |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| I Want To Be Happy 37% | C major |
| But Not For Me 28% | E♭ major |
| Oh, Lady Be Good 28% | G major |
| Rockin' Chair 28% | E♭ major |
| I Got Rhythm 27% | B♭ major |
| I've Never Been In Love Before 26% | B♭ major |
| I Like The Likes Of You 24% | E♭ major |
| Deed I Do 23% | C major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Strollin' in?
Strollin' is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.
Who wrote Strollin'?
Strollin' was written by Horace Silver.
What is the form of Strollin'?
Strollin' has 2 sections (AA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Strollin' played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Strollin'?
The opening bars are Dbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Em7 A7 | Ebm7 Ab7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.