Standards · 1941

Take The A Train chords & key

Billy Strayhorn · Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn

Key: C major
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium-up swing
Time signature: 4/4
Year: 1941

“Take The A Train” is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn from 1941. It is usually played in C major as a medium-up swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 9 different chords and moves between the key centres C major and F major. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

C⁶

D^7♯11

D^m7

G⁷

C⁶

D^m7G⁷

C⁶

G^m7C⁷

F^maj7

D⁷

D^m7

G⁷G^7♭9

C⁶

D^7♯11

D^m7

G⁷

C⁶

D^m7G⁷

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

Harmonic analysis

5Major ii–V–I

0Minor ii–V–i

7ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

9Different chords

Most used chords

C⁶×9
D^7♯11×6
D^m7×6
G⁷×6
F^maj7×4
D⁷×2

Key centres reached by ii–V

C major and F major

Characteristics

AABA song form

History

"Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. In 1976, the 1941 recording by Duke Ellington on Victor Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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

Recorded on these albums

1951	Erroll Garner Erroll Garner · “Take the "A" Train”
1953	Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington Oscar Peterson · “Take the A Train”
1955	Sweet Georgia Brown Billy Tipton Trio · “Take the "A" Train”
1955	Rex Stewart Plays Duke Ellington Rex Stewart / Illinois Jacquet And His All Stars · “Take the "A" Train”
1955	Rockin With Milt Milt Buckner · “Take the "A" Train”
1956	At Newport Duke Ellington and The Buck Clayton All-Stars · “Take the "A" Train”
1956	Dave Brubeck and Jay & Kai At Newport Kai Winding, J.J. Johnson & Dave Brubeck · “Take The "A" Train”
1956	Johnny Hodges and the Ellington All Stars Johnny Hodges and The Ellington All Stars · “Take the "A" Train”
1956	Duke's in Bed Johnny Hodges · “Take the "A" Train”
1956	Dedicated Jazz Rex Stewart / Peanuts Hucko · “Take the "A" Train”
1957	Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “Take the “A” Train”
1957	The Volcanic Candido · “Take the "A" Train”
1958	Anita O'Day Sings the Winners Anita O’Day · “Take the "A" Train”
1959	Oscar Peterson Plays the Duke Ellington Song Book Oscar Peterson · “Take the “A” Train”
1959	London to Newport Johnny Dankworth and his Orchestra at Newport · “Take the 'a' Train”
1960	Dance Air Force Date 1960 Duke Ellington · “Take the a Train”
1960	Tate-A-Tate Buddy Tate With Clark Terry · “Take the "A" Train”
1960	The Greatest Songs Ever Swung Morgana King · “Take the ''a'' Train”
1960	Ray Bryant Plays Ray Bryant · “Take the “A” Train”
1961	First Time! The Count Meets the Duke Duke Ellington and Count Basie · “Take the "A" Train”
1961	Pre-Bird Charles Mingus · “Take the “A” Train”
1961	Fun With Brushes Mal Waldron · “Take the "A" Train”
1962	I Dig the Duke! I Dig the Count! Mel Tormé · “Take the "A" Train”
1962	2 3 4 Shelly Manne · “Take the “A” Train”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

TAKE THE "A" TRAIN PUD BROWN TRIO · Pud Brown · Pete Urquidi · Hank Castro · Billy… archive.org ↗
Take the "A" Train Glenn Miller and His Orchestra · Strayhorn · 1944 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Cheers 50%	Howard McGhee	B♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Move 44%	Denzil Best	B♭ major	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
I Like The Likes Of You 38%	Vernon Duke	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Crazy Rhythm 33%	Wolfe-Kahn-Meyer	F major	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
The Lady's In Love With You 33%	Burton Lane	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Pent Up House 33%	Sonny Rollins	G major	A · 16	Up-tempo swing
You Can Depend On Me 33%	Carpenter-Dunlap-Hines	F major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home 32%	Hughie Cannon	G major	ABAC · 32	Medium-up swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Take The A Train in?

Take The A Train is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote Take The A Train?

Take The A Train was written by Billy Strayhorn (1941).

What is the form of Take The A Train?

Take The A Train has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Take The A Train played?

The usual groove is Medium-up swing.

What are the chord changes to Take The A Train?

The opening bars are C6 | C6 | D7#11 | D7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.