Standards

Tempus Fugit chords & key

Key: D minor
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Up-tempo swing
Time signature: 4/4

“Tempus Fugit” is a jazz standard by Bud Powell. It is usually played in D minor as a up-tempo swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 10 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 10 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — D minor

×2

G^m7A^7♭9

D^m7

A^7♭9

D^m7

G^m7A^7♭9

D^m7

E⁷A^7♭9

D^m7

E^m7♭5

A^7♯9

D^m7

E^7♯9

A^7♭13

D^7♭13

G^m7A^7♭9

D^m7

A^7♭9

D^m7

G^m7A^7♭9

D^m7

E⁷A^7♭9

D^m

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

Harmonic analysis

0Major ii–V–I

1Minor ii–V–i

1ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

5Dominant chains

10Different chords

Most used chords

A^7♭9×12
D^m7×12
G^m7×6
E⁷×3
A^7♭13×2
D^7♭13×2

Characteristics

AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1950	Piano Solos Bud Powell · “Tempus Fugue-It”
1953	Miles Davis, Vol. 2 Miles Davis
1980	Leaving Chet Baker · “Tempus fugit”
1985	Candy Chet Baker
1992	Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream 秋吉敏子
1995	Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Volume Thirty-Six 秋吉敏子
1997	Remembering Bud Powell Chick Corea & Friends
2022	Strictly Confidential Bud Powell
2024	Guitar Solos / Fifty Fred Frith · “Tempus Fugit (2024)”
2025	Trilogy 3 Chick Corea, Brian Blade & Christian McBride

Historic 78 rpm recordings

TEMPUS FUGIT VAN ALEXANDER and his SWINGTIME BAND · Van Alexander · 1940 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Nature Boy 37%	Eden Ahbez	D minor	ABAC · 32	Ballad
Petit Fleur 33%	Sidney Bechet	G minor	ABCD · 48	Medium swing
Idle Moments 30%	Grant Green	C minor	A · 16	Slow swing
Bohemia After Dark 29%	Oscar Pettiford	G minor	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Minor Mood 28%	Clifford Brown	F minor	AB · 24	Medium swing
My Heart Belongs To Daddy 25%	Cole Porter	C minor	AABC · 32	Medium-up swing
Sugar 24%	Stanley Turrentine	C minor	A · 16	Medium swing
Lennie's Pennies 23%	Lennie Tristano	C minor	AB · 32	Up-tempo swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Tempus Fugit in?

Tempus Fugit is usually played in D minor. For B♭ instruments that is E minor, for E♭ instruments B minor.

Who wrote Tempus Fugit?

Tempus Fugit was written by Bud Powell.

What is the form of Tempus Fugit?

Tempus Fugit has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Tempus Fugit played?

The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.

What are the chord changes to Tempus Fugit?

The opening bars are Gm7 A7b9 | Dm7 | A7b9 | Dm7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.