Standards

Tickle-Toe chords & key

Key: D♭ major
Form: ABAB
Bars: 32
Groove: Up-tempo swing
Time signature: 4/4

“Tickle-Toe” is a jazz standard by Lester Young. Most bands play it in D♭ major, up-tempo swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAB form. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — D♭ major

B♭^m7F⁷

B♭^m7

B♭⁷

E♭^m7B♭⁷

E♭^m7

A♭^m7D♭⁷

G♭⁷

B⁷

D♭^maj7

F^m7B♭⁷

E♭⁷

B♭^m7E♭⁷

A♭⁷

F⁷

B♭^m7F⁷

B♭^m7

B♭⁷

E♭^m7B♭⁷

E♭^m7

A♭^m7D♭⁷

G♭⁷

B⁷

D♭^maj7

B♭⁷

E♭⁷

A♭⁷

D♭^maj7

C^m7♭5F^7♭9

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

Harmonic analysis

0Major ii–V–I

0Minor ii–V–i

5ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

8Dominant chains

14Different chords

Most used chords

B♭⁷×8
B♭^m7×7
E♭^m7×6
F⁷×5
D♭^maj7×3
E♭⁷×3

Characteristics

ABAB form

Recorded on these albums

1954	Courts the Count Shorty Rogers · “Tickletoe”
1957	Surf Ride Art Pepper · “Tickle Toe”
1958	Sing Along With Basie Joe Williams, Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross plus The Basie Band · “Tickle Toe”
1959	The Birth of a Band Quincy Jones · “Tickle Toe”
1962	"New Beat Bossa Nova" means the Samba Swings Vol 2 Zoot Sims and His Orchestra · “Pies Danzantes (Tickle Toe)”
1976	Kansas City Joys Buddy Tate, Paul Quinichette & Jay McShann · “Tickle Toe”
1979	Suitably Zoot Zoot Sims with Al Cohn-Richie Kamuca Sextet, Bob Brookmeyer Quintet · “Tickle Toe”
1984	Straight Life - The Savoy Sessions Art Pepper · “Tickle Toe”
1986	Art Pepper With Warne Marsh Art Pepper & Warne Marsh · “Tickle Toe”
1989	The Way It Was! Art Pepper · “Tickle Toe”
1990	The Lee Konitz Duets Lee Konitz · “Tickle Toe”
1992	Directly From The Half Note Phil Woods, Jimmy Rushing, Zot Sims, Al Cohn, Richie Kamuca, Dave Frishberg, Major Holley, Mel Lewis, Tommy Potter, Mousey Alexander · “Tickle Toe”
1997	Tickle Toe Benny Carter · “Tickle Joe”
1997	The Lee Konitz Duets Lee Konitz · “Tickle Toe”
2000	April in Paris Count Basie · “Tickle Toe”
2000	Recado Bossa Nova Zoot Sims · “Tickle Toe”
2003	Young Art Art Pepper · “Tickle Toe”
2006	The Complete Free Wheeling Sessions Art Pepper & Ted Brown · “Avalon”
2007	Zoot Suite Zoot Sims · “Tickle Toe”
2010	The Birth Of A Band - Complete Edition Quincy Jones · “Tickle Toe”
2019	Ow Live at the Penthouse Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis & Johnny Griffin · “Tickle Toe”
—	Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio Marian McPartland · “Tickle Toe”
—	At the Hickory House Marian McPartland
—	Warner Jazz Les Incontournables Art Pepper · “Tickle Toe”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Bright Mississippi 21%	Thelonious Monk	A♭ major	AA · 32	Up-tempo swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Tickle-Toe in?

Tickle-Toe is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.

Who wrote Tickle-Toe?

Tickle-Toe was written by Lester Young.

What is the form of Tickle-Toe?

Tickle-Toe has 4 sections (ABAB) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Tickle-Toe played?

The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.

What are the chord changes to Tickle-Toe?

The opening bars are Bbm7 F7 | Bbm7 F7 | Bbm7 | Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.