Standards

Tea For Two chords & key

Key: A♭ major
Form: ABAC
Bars: 32
Groove: Medium swing
Time signature: 4/4

“Tea For Two” is a jazz standard by Vincent Youmans. Most bands play it in A♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres A♭ major, B♭ minor, C major and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7D♭⁷

C^m7F⁷

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7

D^m7G⁷

C^maj7F⁷

E^m7A⁷

D^m7G⁷

C^maj7

E♭⁷

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭^maj7D♭⁷

C^m7F⁷

B♭^m7E♭⁷

C^m7♭5

F^7♭9

B♭^m7C^dim7

D♭^maj7C^dim7

B♭^m7B♭^m7_/A♭

G♭⁷

C^m7B^dim7

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭⁶

C^m7♭5F^7♭9

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

Harmonic analysis

6Major ii–V–I

4Minor ii–V–i

18ii–V moves

3Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

19Different chords

Most used chords

B♭^m7×11
E♭⁷×10
A♭^maj7×4
D^m7×4
G⁷×4
C^m7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

A♭ major, B♭ minor, C major and D minor

Characteristics

ABAC song form

Recorded on these albums

1950	Piano Solos Vol. 2 Art Tatum
1952	Bing and Connee Bing Crosby and Connee Boswell · “Tea for Two”
1953	Jazz at Storyville Brubeck, Desmond · “Tea for Two”
1954	Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #2 Lester Young with The Oscar Peterson Trio · “Tea for Two”
1954	Bud Powell's Moods Bud Powell · “Tea for Two”
1955	Swing Guitars Oscar Moore, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow · “Tea for Two”
1955	Hi-Fi Jazz Terry Gibbs / Georgie Auld / Tony Scott · “Tea for Two”
1956	The Unique Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk · “Tea for Two”
1956	Jazz Composers Workshop Charles Mingus · “Tea for Two”
1956	Intimate Listening Teddy Wilson · “Tea for Two”
1957	Boy Meets Girl Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae · “Tea for Two”
1957	At The Opera House Coleman Hawkins & Roy Eldridge
1957	Fresh and Fancy-Free Andrews Sisters · “Tea for Two”
1957	Marimbita Leo Arnaud · “Tea for Two”
1957	The "Johnny Smith" Foursome Volume II Johnny Smith
1958	El Tigre Barney Kessel - Harold Land · “Tea for Two”
1958	The Lowest Red Callender · “Tea for Two”
1959	Louis and Keely! Louis Prima & Keely Smith · “Tea for Two”
1959	Le Dernier Message de Lester Young Lester Young · “Tea for Two”
1959	Anita O’Day at Mister Kelly’s Anita O’Day · “Tea for Two”
1959	Donnybrook With Donegan Dorothy Donegan · “Tea for Two”
1959	Once Upon a Summertime Blossom Dearie · “Tea for Two”
1960	Della Della Cha Cha Cha Della Reese · “Tea for Two”
1961	Danish Imports Svend Asmussen & Ulrik Neumann · “Tea for Two”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Tea for Two Max Miller Trio · Max Miller · Parke Hill · Ernest Shephard ·… archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet; Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗
Tea for two Johnny Hodges and his All-Stars orchestra · Johnny Hodges · Jimmy… archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Ingelise Rune · Soft-bar-kvintet · Youmans · Caesar · Hans Schreiber archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet · Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Norman Granz' JAZZ AT THE PHILHARMONIC · Illinois Jacquet · Jack… archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗
Tea For Two Bud Powell Trio · Bud Powell · Buddy Rich · Ray Brown · Norman Granz… archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Gone With The Wind 31%	Allie Wrubel	E♭ major	AB · 32	Medium swing
Shiny Stockings 29%	Frank Foster	F major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing
If Ever I Would Leave You 26%	Frederick Loewe	B♭ major	AABA · 56	Medium swing
The Cool One 24%	Benny Golson	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
St. Thomas 23%	Sonny Rollins	C major	A · 16	Latin
Billy Boy 22%	Traditional	C major	AABA · 56	Medium-up swing
Diane 22%	Rapee-pollack	E♭ major	ABAB · 32	Medium swing
Easy To Love 21%	Cole Porter	G major	ABAC · 32	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Tea For Two in?

Tea For Two is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.

Who wrote Tea For Two?

Tea For Two was written by Vincent Youmans.

What is the form of Tea For Two?

Tea For Two has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Tea For Two played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Tea For Two?

The opening bars are Bbm7 Eb7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Db7 | Cm7 F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.