Standards

What Is This Thing Called Love chords & key

Key: C major
Form: AABA
Bars: 32
Groove: Up-tempo swing
Time signature: 4/4

“What Is This Thing Called Love” is a jazz standard by Cole Porter. It is usually played in C major as a up-tempo swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 6 minor ii–V–i, uses 11 different chords and moves between the key centres F minor, C minor and B♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 24 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

×2

G^m7♭5

C^7♭9

F^m6

D^m7♭5

G^7♯5

C^maj7

C^m7

F⁷

B♭^maj7

A♭⁷

D^m7♭5

G⁷

G^m7♭5

C^7♭9

F^m6

D^m7♭5

G^7♯5

C^maj7

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

Harmonic analysis

1Major ii–V–I

6Minor ii–V–i

8ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

11Different chords

Most used chords

F^m6×6
C^maj7×6
D^m7♭5×4
G^m7♭5×3
C^7♭9×3
G^7♯5×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

F minor, C minor and B♭ major

Characteristics

AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1942	Moanin' Low Lena Horne · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1950	The New Sound! Les Paul
1952	Moods Marian McPartland
1953	Oscar Peterson Plays Cole Porter Oscar Peterson
1953	Strings and Keys Strings and Keys
1953	Charlie Ventura Charlie Ventura
1954	Jam Session Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Harold Land, Richie Powell, George Morrow, Herb Geller, Keter Betts, Junior Mance, Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Dinah Washington
1954	Jay & Kai Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson
1954	Toshiko’s Piano Toshiko Akiyoshi · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1954	Cole Porter in a Modern Mood Randy Weston · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1955	In the Wee Small Hours Frank Sinatra · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1955	Sweet Georgia Brown Billy Tipton Trio
1956	Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1956	Four Horns and a Lush Life Frank Rosolino · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1956	Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter Sonny Criss
1957	Gene Norman Presents Mel Torme at the Crescendo Mel Tormé
1957	New Trombone Curtis Fuller · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1958	Julie Is Her Name, Volume Two Julie London
1958	Raymond Scott Conducts The Rock 'N Roll Symphony Raymond Scott
1959	Anita O’Day Swings Cole Porter With Billy May Anita O’Day with Billy May
1959	Swingin’ Pretty Keely Smith · “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1960	At the Renaissance Ben Webster
1960	The Steve Lawrence Sound Steve Lawrence
1960	Amor Raymond Scott

Historic 78 rpm recordings

WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE. (Part II) Dave Usden · Vic Feldman · Damian Robinson · Pete Blannin · Freddie… archive.org ↗
WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE. (Part 1) Dave Usden · Vic Feldman · Damian Robinson · Pete Blannin · Freddie… archive.org ↗
What Is This Thing Called Love Corky Corcoran and his Orchestra · Emmett Berry · Corky Corcoran ·… · 1945 archive.org ↗
What Is This Thing Called Love Barney Kessel's Allstars · Cole Porter · Barneey Kessel · Dodo… · 1946 archive.org ↗
WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE NORMAN DAVIS and his ORCHESTRA · C. PORTER · 1946 archive.org ↗
What is This Thing Called Love Anita O'Day · Will Bradley and his Orchestra · Cole Porter · 1947 archive.org ↗
What Is This Thing Called Love The Sheboblou Trio · Porter · Lou Stein · Shelly Manne · Bob Carter · 1947 archive.org ↗
WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE THE SHEBOBLOU TRIO · LOU STEIN · SHELLY MANNE · BOB CARTER · PORTER · 1947 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Hot House 69%	Tadd Dameron	C major	AABA · 32	Up-tempo swing
Subconscious Lee 69%	Lee Konitz	C major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is What Is This Thing Called Love in?

What Is This Thing Called Love is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote What Is This Thing Called Love?

What Is This Thing Called Love was written by Cole Porter.

What is the form of What Is This Thing Called Love?

What Is This Thing Called Love has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is What Is This Thing Called Love played?

The usual groove is Up-tempo swing.

What are the chord changes to What Is This Thing Called Love?

The opening bars are Gm7b5 | C7b9 | Fm6 | Fm6. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.