Standards
The Theme chords & key
- Key
- B♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“The Theme” is a jazz standard by Miles Davis. Most bands play it in B♭ major, up-tempo swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 3 major ii–V–I cadences and 4 minor ii–V–i, uses 12 different chords and moves between the key centres C minor and B♭ major. The bridge uses the cycle of dominants known from Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” — so-called rhythm changes. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.
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
- F7×11
- G7×9
- Cm7×9
- Dm7×4
- B♭maj7×3
- Fm7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
C minor and B♭ major
Characteristics
- Rhythm changes
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1964 | Dizzy Goes Hollywood Dizzy Gillespie · “Theme From Lawrence Of Arabia” |
| 1971 | Smackwater Jack Quincy Jones · “Ironside” |
| 1975 | Ironside Quincy Jones · “Ironside” |
Historic 78 rpm recordings
- The Theme Lee Norman Trio · Lee Norman · Hearn Lewis · Eugene Fields · Hearn ·… · 1950 archive.org ↗
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Anthropology 100% | B♭ major |
| Moose The Mooche 100% | B♭ major |
| No Moe 100% | B♭ major |
| Oleo 100% | B♭ major |
| Passport 100% | B♭ major |
| Salt Peanuts 100% | B♭ major |
| Shaw 'Nuff 100% | B♭ major |
| Thriving From A Riff 77% | B♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is The Theme in?
The Theme is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.
Who wrote The Theme?
The Theme was written by Miles Davis.
What is the form of The Theme?
The Theme has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is The Theme played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to The Theme?
The opening bars are Bbmaj7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.