Standards

The Lady is a Tramp chords & key

Key
C major
Form
AABC
Bars
48
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4

“The Lady is a Tramp” is a jazz standard by Richard Rodgers. It is usually played in C major as a medium swing, and the 48-bar AABC form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 5 minor ii–V–i, uses 14 different chords and moves between the key centres C major, D minor and A minor. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

A
Cmaj7
E♭7
Dm7
G7
Cmaj7
E♭7
Dm7
G7
C7
C7
Fmaj7
B♭7
Em7A7
Dm7G7
1.
C6A7
Dm7G7
2.
C6
C6
B
Dm7
G7
Em7
A7
Dm7
G7
Em7A7
Dm7G7
C
Cmaj7
E♭7
Dm7
Bm7♭5E7♭9
Am7D7
Dm7G7
C6
C6

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

Harmonic analysis

7Major ii–V–I
5Minor ii–V–i
17ii–V moves
5Tritone substitutions
2Dominant chains
14Different chords

Most used chords

  • Dm7×12
  • G7×11
  • Cmaj7×5
  • E♭7×5
  • A7×5
  • C6×5

Key centres reached by ii–V

C major, D minor and A minor

Recorded on these albums

1951 At Storyville / At The Hickory House
Marian McPartland · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1952 Lena Sings Your Requests
Lena Horne Orchestra Conducted By Marty Paich · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1952 Vibe Solos
Teddy Charles · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1953 Anita O’Day Collates
Anita O’Day · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1954 Oscar Peterson Plays Richard Rodgers
Oscar Peterson · “The Lady Is A Tramp”
1955 Blow Hot - Blow Cool
Herbie Fields, The Melrose Avenue Conservatory Chamber Music Society · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1956 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book
Ella Fitzgerald · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1956 Mel Tormé with The Marty Paich Dek-Tette
Mel Tormé with The Marty Paich Dek‐Tette · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1956 The Jazz Skyline
Milt Jackson · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1956 The Al Cohn Quintet
Al Cohn Quintet feat. Bob Brookmeyer · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1956 Tjader Plays Mambo
Cal Tjader · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1957 The Lady Is a Tramp
Anita O’Day · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1957 Alto Madness
Jackie McLean / John Jenkins · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1958 Herbie Mann With The Wessel Ilcken Trio
Herbie Mann with The Wessel Ilcken Trio · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1958 The Modern Art Of Jazz
Tony Scott · “The Lady Is A Tramp”
1959 Oscar Peterson Plays the Richard Rodgers Songbook
Oscar Peterson · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1959 The Night I Played 666 Fifth Avenue
Paul Whiteman · “The Lady Is A Tramp”
1959 El Cuarteto de Bobby Hackett
Bobby Hackett
1960 I Gotta Right to Swing
Sammy Davis Jr. · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1960 Della
Della Reese · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1961 Dreamstreet
Erroll Garner · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1962 Conga Soul
Candido · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1963 Mink Jazz
Peggy Lee · “The Lady Is a Tramp”
1964 With a Taste of Honey
Morgana King · “Lady Is a Tramp”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

  • THE LADY IS A TRAMP BOYD RAEBURN And His Orchestra · GINNIE POWELL · Ginne Powell ·… · 1947 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
The Joker 38% Lee Morgan E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Why Do I Love You? 38% Jerome Kern A♭ major AA · 32 Medium swing
Too Young To Go Steady 36% Jimmy McHugh F major AABA · 32 Ballad
The Masquerade Is Over 35% Allie Wrubel E♭ major AAB · 44 Ballad
Billy Boy 34% Traditional C major AABA · 56 Medium-up swing
Don't Worry 'Bout Me 33% Rube Bloom A♭ major AB · 32 Ballad
Little Willie Leaps 33% Charlie Parker F major AA · 32 Up-tempo swing
So Nice (Summer Samba) 33% Marco Valles F major ABB · 24 Bossa nova

Frequently asked questions

What key is The Lady is a Tramp in?

The Lady is a Tramp is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote The Lady is a Tramp?

The Lady is a Tramp was written by Richard Rodgers.

What is the form of The Lady is a Tramp?

The Lady is a Tramp has 4 sections (AABC) with 48 bars in total.

How fast is The Lady is a Tramp played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to The Lady is a Tramp?

The opening bars are Cmaj7 | Eb7 | Dm7 | G7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.