Standards
Tenor Madness chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- A
- Bars
- 12
- Groove
- Medium-up swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Tenor Madness” is a jazz standard by Sonny Rollins. It is usually played in B♭ major as a medium-up swing, and the 12-bar A form repeats as one section. Its changes follow the 12-bar blues. In this atlas it appears in 1 transcribed solo.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B♭7×6
- E♭7×3
- F7×2
- Cm7×1
Characteristics
- 12-bar blues
Transcribed solos on Tenor Madness
| Sonny Rollins tenor saxophone | 176 BPM |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Parker's Mood 100% | B♭ major |
| Misterioso 83% | B♭ major |
| Trane’s Blues 83% | B♭ major |
| Blues In The Closet 67% | A♭ major |
| Sonnymoon For Two 56% | B♭ major |
| Things Ain't What They Used To Be 56% | D♭ major |
| Straight No Chaser 38% | B♭ major |
| Chasin' The Trane 30% | F major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Tenor Madness in?
Tenor Madness is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote Tenor Madness?
Tenor Madness was written by Sonny Rollins.
What is the form of Tenor Madness?
Tenor Madness has 1 sections (A) with 12 bars in total.
How fast is Tenor Madness played?
The usual groove is Medium-up swing. Transcribed solos in our data were played at 176 BPM.
What are the chord changes to Tenor Madness?
The opening bars are Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.