Standards
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big chords & key
- Key
- E♭ major
- Form
- AAB
- Bars
- 52
- Groove
- Up-tempo swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“This Could Be The Start Of Something Big” is a jazz standard by Steve Allen. Most bands play it in E♭ major, up-tempo swing; the tune runs 52 bars in AAB form. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 18 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, F minor and A♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 14 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
- B♭7×10
- Fm7×8
- B♭m7×7
- A♭maj7×6
- E♭7×5
- Cm7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
E♭ major, F minor and A♭ major
Recorded on these albums
| 1959 | This Love of Mine Jack Jones · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
| 1961 | The Great Kai & J.J. Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
| 1964 | In Love Jack Jones · “This Could Be the Start of Something” |
| 1965 | Rhapsody Ahmad Jamal · “This Could Be the Start of Something” |
| 1965 | Recorded in Person at the Trident Jon Hendricks · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
| 1966 | I Want to Hold Your Hand Grant Green · “This Could Be the Start of Something” |
| 1978 | Pretties Ruby Braff · “This Could Be the Start of Something” |
| 1979 | Lionel Hampton Featuring Hank Jones – Who's Who In Jazz Presents Lionel Hampton featuring Hank Jones · “This Could Be the Start of Something New” |
| 1988 | The Sound of Jazz Lionel Hampton · “This Could Be the Start of Something New” |
| 1999 | Hello, Dolly! Lionel Hampton · “This Could Be the Start of Something New” |
| 2008 | Nora - for swingende!!! Nora Brockstedt · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
| 2013 | Live at the Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964 Tony Bennett · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
| 2021 | Songs From Home Seth MacFarlane & Liz Gillies · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
| — | The Great Kai & J. J. (2025 Remaster) J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding · “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| The Things We Did Last Summer 30% | F major |
| Cabaret 29% | E♭ major |
| Down In The Depths 26% | G major |
| Eclypso 26% | E♭ major |
| I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket 26% | C major |
| I Want To Be Happy 24% | C major |
| Taking A Chance On Love 24% | F major |
| Again 23% | G major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is This Could Be The Start Of Something Big in?
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote This Could Be The Start Of Something Big?
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big was written by Steve Allen.
What is the form of This Could Be The Start Of Something Big?
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big has 3 sections (AAB) with 52 bars in total.
How fast is This Could Be The Start Of Something Big played?
The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.
What are the chord changes to This Could Be The Start Of Something Big?
The opening bars are Ebmaj7 | Cm7 | Fm7 | Bb7 C7b13. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.