The All of Me chords are a perfect “graduation” test for anyone learning jazz guitar. This 1931 standard uses all six chord types that shells cover, from major 7 to diminished 7. Yet it moves in a clear, logical way, so it’s easy to memorize. This guide covers the history, the shapes, the full chart and a practice plan.
A Short History of All of Me
Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons wrote All of Me in 1931. It quickly became a favorite of jazz singers and players, and Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Django Reinhardt all recorded it. Johnny Hartman’s version, from his 1957 album, is a great one to start with.
Most jazz players play it in C, so that’s the key used here. Also note that this is the jazz standard, not John Legend’s 2013 song with the same title.
Why the All of Me Chords Are Perfect for Shells
Many tunes use three or four kinds of shells. By contrast, All of Me uses all six chord types, so it’s a great test of the system. It also sits at a relaxed medium-swing tempo.
Why the Tune Is Easy to Memorize
All of Me follows a clear pattern. Bars 1-8 and 17-24 are identical, so learning those eight bars covers half the tune. Moreover, bars 9-16 also start on E7 and follow a similar path: E7 to Am7, then D7, then Dm7 and G7. So once you know the first eight bars, you already know most of the All of Me chords.
The Chain of Chords Falling by 5ths
The heart of the tune is a chain of chords whose roots each fall a 5th. To find it, count down five letter names: E, D, C, B, A. So in the first section, E7 leads to A7, and A7 leads to Dm7. In the second, E7 leads to Am7, then D7 leads through Dm7 to G7, which leads home to C.
That chain is why the tune sounds like it’s always going somewhere. It’s also why the shells flow so smoothly, because each new root is only a short move away.
The All of Me Chords as Shell Voicings
Each shape is written from the low E string (left) to the high E string (right). A number is the fret, and “x” means don’t play that string. These cover the first 16 bars.
- Cmaj7: x 3 2 4 x x.
- E7: x 7 6 7 x x.
- A7: 5 x 5 6 x x.
- Dm7: x 5 3 5 x x.
- Am7: 5 x 5 5 x x.
- D7: x 5 4 5 x x.
- G7: 3 x 3 4 x x.
How the All of Me Chords Move on the Neck
Look at how close these shapes sit. After the jump from Cmaj7 up to E7, each change is only a fret or two: E7 is at the 7th fret, while A7 and Dm7 are at the 5th. To avoid that first jump, you can also play Cmaj7 at 8 x 9 9 x x. Meanwhile, the root jumps between the 5th and 6th strings. As a result, your hand stays in one small area of the neck, even though the chords change every two bars.
The Full All of Me Chord Chart
All of Me is 32 bars long, in four 8-bar sections. The third section repeats the first, so you’re really learning three. Here’s a common version, one chord per bar unless two are shown.
- Bars 1-8: Cmaj7, Cmaj7, E7, E7, A7, A7, Dm7, Dm7.
- Bars 9-16: E7, E7, Am7, Am7, D7, D7, Dm7, G7.
- Bars 17-24: the same as bars 1-8.
- Bars 25-32: F6, Fm6, Em7, A7, Dm7, G7, C6 and Ebdim7, Dm7 and G7.
Charts vary a little, so check the All of Me chords on the chart you’re using. For example, some show C6 instead of Cmaj7 in the first bar. Go with the chart you’re reading, since the two shells are just one note apart.
The Ending: F6, Fm6 and the Diminished Turnaround
The last section brings five new chords. Here are their shells:
- F6: x 8 7 7 x x.
- Fm6: x 8 6 7 x x.
- Em7: x 7 5 7 x x.
- C6: x 3 2 2 x x.
- Ebdim7: x 6 4 5 x x.
The move from F6 to Fm6 is one of the loveliest sounds in the tune, and only one note changes: the D-string note drops a fret. Then Em7, A7, Dm7 and G7 roll down to C. Finally, the C6 to Ebdim7 to Dm7 to G7 turnaround leads back to the top. For more on these patterns, see our guide to jazz chord progressions.
How to Practice the All of Me Chords
- Start with the dominant chain. Play E7, A7, Dm7 for two bars each until the moves feel easy.
- Learn one section at a time. Practice bars 1-8, then bars 9-16, then the ending.
- Practice the F6 to Fm6 move on its own. Listen to how one note changes the mood.
- Play along with a recording. Check that it’s in C, or use a play-along track in C. Singers often change the key.
- Comp with four light strums per bar. Keep each strum short, so the band can breathe.
Keep Going After the All of Me Chords
Once these All of Me chords feel easy, keep going with 6 chords. Our guide to the G6 chord is a great next step. For all ten shapes in detail, see our guide to shell voicings.
Then choose your next tune from our list of 253 jazz standards, or work on your swing feel with our 4 jazz rhythms you MUST know.
Learn and Play 25 Jazz Standards on TrueFire!Start →
Continue Learning
Explore the rest of this series:
- Jazz Standards on Guitar: 253 Tunes You Can Play With 10 Shell Chords
- Shell Voicings for Jazz Guitar: The 10 Shapes Behind Hundreds of Standards
- Jazz Chord Progressions: The 6 Patterns Behind Most Standards
- The G6 Chord: Three Easy Ways to Play the Sweet Sound of Swing
- Autumn Leaves Chords: Play the Classic Jazz Standard With Shell Voicings
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