Standards
Tokyo Blues chords & key
- Key
- C minor
- Form
- A
- Bars
- 16
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“Tokyo Blues” is a jazz standard by Horace Silver. It is usually played in C minor as a medium swing, and the 16-bar A form repeats as one section. In this atlas it appears on 8 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C minor
A
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
0Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
0ii–V moves
3Tritone substitutions
1Dominant chains
5Different chords
Most used chords
- Cm7×8
- D♭7×6
- E♭7×1
- D7♭13×1
- G7♭9×1
Recorded on these albums
| 1963 | Several Shades of Jade Cal Tjader |
| 1969 | The Best of Horace Silver Horace Silver · “The Tokyo Blues” |
| 1984 | Live 1964 Horace Silver · “The Tokyo Blues” |
| 1995 | Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver Dee Dee Bridgewater · “The Tokyo Blues” |
| 2001 | Intersections: Jazz Meets the Symphony #5 Lalo Schifrin |
| 2002 | Paris Blues Horace Silver · “The Tokyo Blues” |
| 2022 | The Classic Blue Note Collection 1957-62 Horace Silver · “The Tokyo Blues” |
| — | The Challenge Hampton Hawes |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Tokyo Blues in?
Tokyo Blues is usually played in C minor. For B♭ instruments that is D minor, for E♭ instruments A minor.
Who wrote Tokyo Blues?
Tokyo Blues was written by Horace Silver.
What is the form of Tokyo Blues?
Tokyo Blues has 1 sections (A) with 16 bars in total.
How fast is Tokyo Blues played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Tokyo Blues?
The opening bars are Db7 | Db7 | Cm7 | Cm7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.