Standards · 1956
Whisper Not chords & key
- Key
- C minor
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1956
“Whisper Not” is a jazz standard by Benny Golson from 1956. It is usually played in C minor as a medium swing, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 12 minor ii–V–i, uses 15 different chords and moves between the key centres D minor, G minor and C minor. In this atlas it appears on 6 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C minor
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Em7♭5×7
- A7♭9×7
- Dm7×6
- Am7♭5×4
- D7♭9×4
- Gm7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
D minor, G minor and C minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Whisper Not" is a composition by Benny Golson. It is in a minor key and contains a shout chorus (a special chorus between the final solo and the closing head). Golson gave an account of writing the piece in which he said: "I wrote it in Boston at George Wein's Storyville club when I was with Dizzy Gillespie's big band. I wrote that tune in 20 minutes." Some sources indicate that the first recording was by Gillespie, while others indicate that trumpeter Lee Morgan was first. It quickly became popular with other musicians: Thad Jones and Morgan recorded their own versions before its composer had the chance to record it with his own group. Golson's early version was on his 1957 album Benny Golson's New York Scene. By 1960, John S. Wilson, critic at The New York Times, had labelled the song, together with another Golson composition, "I Remember Clifford", "an established part of the jazz repertory".
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Recorded on these albums
Frequently asked questions
What key is Whisper Not in?
Whisper Not is usually played in C minor. For B♭ instruments that is D minor, for E♭ instruments A minor.
Who wrote Whisper Not?
Whisper Not was written by Benny Golson (1956).
What is the form of Whisper Not?
Whisper Not has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Whisper Not played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Whisper Not?
The opening bars are Cm7 Cm7/Bb | Am7b5 D7b9 | Gm7 Gm7/F | Em7b5 A7b9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.