Standards
When Lights Are Low chords & key
- Key
- E♭ major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
“When Lights Are Low” is a jazz standard by Benny Carter. It is usually played in E♭ major as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 7 major ii–V–I cadences and 6 minor ii–V–i, uses 19 different chords and moves between the key centres F minor, E♭ major, F♯ major, A major and C major. In this atlas it appears on 3 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
- Fm7×16
- Gm7×9
- B♭7×8
- E♭maj7×6
- C7×5
- E♭6×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
F minor, E♭ major, F♯ major, A major and C major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1956 | Blue Haze Miles Davis |
| 1964 | When Lights Are Low Tony Bennett with The Ralph Sharon Trio |
| 1969 | Exclusively for my Friends – Vol. VI: Travelin' On Oscar Peterson · “When Lights are low” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Crazy He Calls Me 29% | F major |
| Four Brothers 28% | A♭ major |
| One Morning In May 26% | G major |
| April Skies 24% | G major |
| Cabaret 23% | E♭ major |
| Little Willie Leaps 23% | F major |
| That's All 23% | B♭ major |
| Central Park West 22% | B major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is When Lights Are Low in?
When Lights Are Low is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.
Who wrote When Lights Are Low?
When Lights Are Low was written by Benny Carter.
What is the form of When Lights Are Low?
When Lights Are Low has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is When Lights Are Low played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to When Lights Are Low?
The opening bars are Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Gm7 Fm7 | Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Gm7 C7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.