Standards · 1927

Why Do I Love You? chords & key

Key
A♭ major
Form
AA
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1927

“Why Do I Love You?” is a jazz standard by Jerome Kern from 1927. Most bands play it in A♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AA form. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences and 1 minor ii–V–i, uses 14 different chords and moves between the key centres A♭ major, F minor and D♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 23 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — A♭ major

A
A♭maj7
Fm7
B♭m7
E♭7
A♭maj7
F7
B♭m7
E♭7
1.
Cm7
Fm7
B♭m7
Gm7♭5C7♭9
Fm7
B♭7
B♭m7
E♭7
2.
E♭m7
A♭7
D♭maj7
G♭7
A♭maj7
B♭m7E♭7
A♭6
B♭m7E♭7

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

Harmonic analysis

5Major ii–V–I
1Minor ii–V–i
10ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
14Different chords

Most used chords

  • B♭m7×8
  • E♭7×7
  • A♭maj7×5
  • Fm7×4
  • F7×2
  • Cm7×1

Key centres reached by ii–V

A♭ major, F minor and D♭ major

Recorded on these albums

1955 Brubeck Time
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
1956 The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet
Herbie Mann & Sam Most
1957 This Is New
Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Kenny Drew
1957 Young Ideas
Ray Anthony · “Why Do I Love You”
1959 André Prévin Plays Songs by Jerome Kern
André Previn
1959 Louis and Keely!
Louis Prima & Keely Smith · “Why Do I Love You”
1959 The Night I Played 666 Fifth Avenue
Paul Whiteman · “Why Do I Love You”
1961 Jerome Kern Showboat
Kenny Dorham
1963 The Cup Bearers
Blue Mitchell
1963 Plays Jerome Kern And No More
Lucky Thompson
1966 Psychicemotus
Yusef Lateef
1975 Fascinating Rhythm (Music Of The Thirties, Album 2)
Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli
1975 West Side Story
Earl Hines · “Why Do I Love Yo?”
1985 Plays Gershwin & Kern
Erroll Garner · “Why Do I Love You”
1987 Stéphane Grappelli Plays Jerome Kern
Stéphane Grappelli · “Why Do I Love You”
1988 Menuhin & Grappelli Play Berlin, Kern, Porter & Rodgers and Hart
Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli
1993 West Side Story
Earl Hines · “Why Do I Love Yo?”
1995 André Previn and Friends Play Show Boat
André Previn · “Why Do I Love You”
1995 Magician / Gershwin and Kern
Erroll Garner
2008 The Complete Jerome Kern / Rodgers & Hart SongBooks
Kenny Drew · “Why Do I Love You”
— Fascinatin' Rhythm
Yehudi Menuhin, Stephane Grappelly · “Why Do I Love You”
— Priceless Jazz
Stéphane Grappelli · “Why Do I Love You”
— NY Swing Tributes Jerome Kern
Bucky Pizzarelli · “Why Do I Love You”

Historic 78 rpm recordings

  • Why Do I Love You Sonny Stitt · Jo Jones · John Simmons · Fletcher Peck · Hammerstein… · 1952 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
The Blue Room 54% Richard Rodgers F major AABC · 32 Medium swing
If I Knew Then (What I Know Now) 43% Jurgens-Howard E♭ major AB · 32 Medium swing
Eclypso 39% Tommy Flanagan E♭ major AABA · 32 Latin/swing
Too Young To Go Steady 39% Jimmy McHugh F major AABA · 32 Ballad
The Lady is a Tramp 38% Richard Rodgers C major AABC · 48 Medium swing
Look For The Silver Lining 38% Jerome Kern E♭ major ABA · 32 Medium swing
My Shining Hour 36% Harold Arlen C major AB · 32 Medium swing
Love Is The Sweetest Thing 35% Ray Noble D major AABA · 32 Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Why Do I Love You? in?

Why Do I Love You? is usually played in A♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is B♭ major, for E♭ instruments F major.

Who wrote Why Do I Love You??

Why Do I Love You? was written by Jerome Kern (1927).

What is the form of Why Do I Love You??

Why Do I Love You? has 2 sections (AA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Why Do I Love You? played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to Why Do I Love You??

The opening bars are Abmaj7 | Fm7 | Bbm7 | Eb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.