Standards
The Dolphin chords & key
- Key
- E major
- Form
- ABCA
- Bars
- 44
- Groove
- Bossa nova
- Time signature
- 4/4
“The Dolphin” is a jazz standard by Luiz Eca. It is usually played in E major as a bossa nova, and the 44-bar ABCA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 37 different chords and moves between the key centres E minor, D major and B minor. In this atlas it appears on 8 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — E major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- F♯maj7×3
- Emaj7×3
- G7♯11×2
- Amaj7×2
- B7/A×2
- G♯7alt×2
Key centres reached by ii–V
E minor, D major and B minor
Recorded on these albums
| 1967 | Mind-Dusters Kenny Rankin |
| 1983 | Time Remembers One Time Once Denny Zeitlin / Charlie Haden |
| 1985 | Open the Door The Pentangle |
| 1998 | From Left to Right Bill Evans · “The Dolphin - Before” |
| 2001 | Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner |
| 2002 | Smile Jacky Terrasson |
| 2003 | Thieves and Poets John McLaughlin |
| 2010 | Forever Eddie Gomez & Cesarius Alvim |
Frequently asked questions
What key is The Dolphin in?
The Dolphin is usually played in E major. For B♭ instruments that is F♯ major, for E♭ instruments D♭ major.
Who wrote The Dolphin?
The Dolphin was written by Luiz Eca.
What is the form of The Dolphin?
The Dolphin has 4 sections (ABCA) with 44 bars in total.
How fast is The Dolphin played?
The usual groove is Bossa nova.
What are the chord changes to The Dolphin?
The opening bars are F#maj7 | G7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.