Standards
The Very Thought Of You chords & key
“The Very Thought Of You” is a jazz standard by Ray Noble. It is usually played in A♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar ABAC form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres F minor, A♭ major and C minor. In this atlas it appears on 10 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B♭m7×8
- Cm7×5
- A♭6×5
- B♭7×5
- E♭7×5
- D♭maj7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
F minor, A♭ major and C minor
Characteristics
- ABAC song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1958 | The Very Thought of You Nat King Cole · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 1962 | Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain Frank Sinatra · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 1962 | Ella Swings Gently With Nelson Ella Fitzgerald · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 1966 | A Time for Love Tony Bennett · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 1999 | The Legendary Bing Crosby Bing Crosby · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 2000 | The Essential Collection Bing Crosby · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 2001 | Armstrong Alumni Allstars Louis Armstrong · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 2004 | The Love Songs Billie Holiday · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 2025 | The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2 Barbra Streisand · “The Very Thought of You” |
| 2026 | Mike Jones With Strings Mike Jones |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair 20% | E♭ major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is The Very Thought Of You in?
The Very Thought Of You is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.
Who wrote The Very Thought Of You?
The Very Thought Of You was written by Ray Noble.
What is the form of The Very Thought Of You?
The Very Thought Of You has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is The Very Thought Of You played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to The Very Thought Of You?
The opening bars are Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 | Cm7 Eb7sus | Ab6 Dbmaj7 | Cm7 Eb7sus. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.