Standards · 1925

Sweet Georgia Brown chords & key

Pinkard-Casey-Bernie · Lyrics: Kenneth Casey

Key: A♭ major
Form: AA
Bars: 32
Groove: Up-tempo swing
Time signature: 4/4
Year: 1925

“Sweet Georgia Brown” is a jazz standard by Pinkard-Casey-Bernie from 1925. It is usually played in A♭ major as a up-tempo swing, and the 32-bar AA form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres A♭ major and F minor. In this atlas it appears on 12 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major

F⁷

B♭⁷

E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

G^m7♭5C^7♭9

F^m

G^m7♭5C^7♭9

F^m

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭⁷G⁷

G♭⁷F⁷

B♭⁷E♭⁷

A♭⁶

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

Harmonic analysis

1Major ii–V–I

1Minor ii–V–i

4ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

7Dominant chains

12Different chords

Most used chords

F⁷×9
B♭⁷×9
E♭⁷×7
A♭^maj7×2
B♭^m7×2
G^m7♭5×2

Key centres reached by ii–V

A♭ major and F minor

History

"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1952	This Is Oscar Peterson at the Piano Oscar Peterson
1960	Louie and the Dukes of Dixieland Louis Armstrong & The Dukes of Dixieland
1961	Dedicated to You Ray Charles
1966	Whisper Not Ella Fitzgerald
1988	Satchmo and the Dukes of Dixieland Louis Armstrong & The Dukes of Dixieland
1988	Menuhin and Grappelli Play “Jealousy” and Other Great Standards Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli
2002	It’s Easy to Remember Bing Crosby
2004	Limehouse Blues Louis Armstrong & The Dukes of Dixieland
2019	The Platinum Collection Ray Charles
2026	World Tour Oscar Peterson
—	Please Bing Crosby
—	Strictly for the Birds Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli

Historic 78 rpm recordings

SWEET GEORGIA BROWN JOE LIGGINS AND HIS "HONEYDRIPPERS" · Bernie · Pinkard · Casey archive.org ↗
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN THE PLAINSMEN · Bernie · Pinkard · Casey archive.org ↗
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA · Bernie · Casey · Pinkard archive.org ↗
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN EDDIE SOUTH · DJANGO REINHARDT · WILSON MYERS · Pickard · 1937 archive.org ↗
Sweet Georgia Brown Ed Hall and the Big City Jazzmen · Bernie, Casey, Pinkard · Sid… · 1944 archive.org ↗
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN HARRY JAMES & HIS ORCHESTRA · Bernie · Casey · Pinkard · 1944 archive.org ↗
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN Barney Bigard · Red Callender · Calvin Jackson · Ray Linn · Allan… · 1946 archive.org ↗
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN BENNY CARTER & his CHOCOLATE DANDIES · Buck Clayton · Albert Gray ·… · 1946 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Dig 100%	Miles Davis	A♭ major	AA · 32	Up-tempo swing
I Ain't Got Nobody 36%	Graham-Williams	G major	AABA · 32	Slow swing
There Is No Greater Love 32%	Isham Jones	B♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Bright Mississippi 30%	Thelonious Monk	A♭ major	AA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Just In Time 26%	Jule Styne	B♭ major	AB · 32	Up-tempo swing
Memories Of You 26%	Eubie Blake	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Ballad
He's A Tramp 24%	Lee-Burke	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Charleston 22%	James Johnson	B♭ major	ABAC · 32	Medium-up swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Sweet Georgia Brown in?

Sweet Georgia Brown is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.

Who wrote Sweet Georgia Brown?

Sweet Georgia Brown was written by Pinkard-Casey-Bernie (1925).

What is the form of Sweet Georgia Brown?

Sweet Georgia Brown has 2 sections (AA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Sweet Georgia Brown played?

The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.

What are the chord changes to Sweet Georgia Brown?

The opening bars are F7 | F7 | F7 | F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.