Jazz standards are the shared songbook of jazz, the tunes every player is expected to know. This list gathers 253 jazz standards that you can play with just ten “shell” chords, so you don’t need a whole book of chord shapes. No full barre chords and no big stretches. Instead, you learn ten small shapes once, then slide them around the neck to play ballads, swing, bebop, and bossa nova.
Why Shell Chords Make Jazz Standards Playable
A shell is a three-note chord: the root, the 3rd and the 7th (or the 6th). Even so, those three notes tell your ear what kind of chord it is. (The exceptions are m7b5 and diminished 7 chords, covered below.) As a result, shells sound like real jazz while staying easy on the fretting hand.
Shells also have a long history. They’re how swing guitarists like Freddie Green drove the rhythm in big bands, and they’re still a go-to comping sound with a rhythm section.
What a Shell Chord Leaves Out
A full jazz chord can have five or six notes, and many of them are hard to reach. A shell, however, keeps only the notes that define the chord. The 5th is left out, because it sounds the same in most chords. The fancy color notes, such as 9ths and 13ths, are left out too.
Still, that’s not a shortcut that sounds thin. That’s because in a band, the bass and piano fill in the rest. Meanwhile, the guitar’s three notes cut through cleanly, so the whole band sounds clearer.
What’s in This List of 253 Jazz Standards
The list covers ballads, swing, bebop, bossa nova and modal jazz. You’ll find tunes by Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, as well as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Herbie Hancock.
In fact, medium swing tunes make up the biggest group, with 90 songs. The collection also includes 55 ballads, 42 up-tempo swing tunes, and 16 bossa novas. Most of the tunes are in F, C, E-flat, or B-flat, the keys horn players favor.
Why Learn Jazz Standards?
Standards are the common language of jazz. At a jam session, players call a tune by name and simply start playing, because everyone already knows the changes.
Learning them also pays off quickly. Most jazz standards reuse the same few chord progressions, so every tune you learn makes the next one easier. In other words, by your tenth tune you’ll start recognizing whole sections before you read them.
Who This List of Jazz Standards Is For
If you already know some jazz but you’re new to shell voicings, this is a great place to start. Every chord symbol you’ll meet in these tunes has a matching shell, so what you play fits what’s on the chart.
If you’re coming from rock, blues or folk, the list works for you too. You only need to know where the notes are on the two thickest strings, because that’s where every root sits.
The 10 Shell Chords
Read each shape 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. Mute those strings by letting your fretting fingers touch them lightly, so they don’t ring. In the chord diagrams, the red dot is the root
Five Shells With the Root on the 6th String
These are shown with a G root at the 3rd fret.
- Major 7: 3 x 4 4 x x.
- Major 6: 3 x 2 4 x x.
- Minor 7: 3 x 3 3 x x.
- Minor 6 / Diminished 7: 3 x 2 3 x x.
- Dominant 7: 3 x 3 4 x x.
Five Shells With the Root on the 5th String
These are shown with a C root at the 3rd fret.
- Major 7: x 3 2 4 x x.
- Major 6: x 3 2 2 x x.
- Minor 7: x 3 1 3 x x.
- Minor 6 / Diminished 7: x 3 1 2 x x.
- Dominant 7: x 3 2 3 x x.
Three Shortcuts That Make the Shells Easy
These shapes are easier to learn than they look.
- The 6 shapes are the 7 shapes with one note moved. For a major 6, start from the major 7 shape and move its 7th down two frets. For a minor 6, start from the minor 7 shape and move its 7th down one fret.
- One shape covers two chords. That’s because the minor 6 shape and the diminished 7 shape use the same three notes.
- The next chord is usually close. Slide a shape until the lowest note is on the right fret. Because each shape has a 6th-string and a 5th-string version, the next chord is almost always within a fret or two.
For fingerings and practice tips, see our full guide to shell voicings. To hear why the 6 chords matter so much, read our guide to the G6 chord.
What Each Column Means
- SONG and COMPOSER: The tune and who wrote the music.
- STYLE: The feel of the tune, such as swing (slow, medium, medium-up or up-tempo), ballad, bossa nova or waltz.
- KEY: The key most jazz players use. It matches most fake books and the iReal Pro app. An “m” means a minor key.
- SHELLS USED: Which kinds of shells the tune needs. So fewer shells means an easier tune to start with.
- FAMOUS RECORDING: A classic version to listen to. The recording isn’t always in the listed key, since singers often change keys. So play along with a chart in the listed key, or move your shapes to match the record.
Which Shell Goes With Which Chord Symbol
Fake books use lots of chord symbols. Here’s which shell each one gets.
- Major 7 shell: maj7, maj9 and maj7#11.
- Major 6 shell: 6 and 6/9.
- Minor 7 shell: m7, m9, m11 and m7b5 (half-diminished). The shell leaves out the 5th, which is the only note that’s different in a m7b5. In a band, the bass, piano or melody usually supplies it.
- Minor 6 shell: m6 and m6/9.
- Dominant 7 shell: 7, 9, 13 and the “altered” dominants, such as 7b9 and 7#9.
- Diminished 7 shell: dim7, also written °7. It’s the minor 6 shape, and it repeats every three frets.
- A plain chord (just “C” or “Cm”): use the major 6 or major 7 shell (for Cm, the minor 6 or minor 7), whichever sounds right. Never use the dominant 7 for a plain chord. Older swing tunes usually sound best with the 6.
Getting Started With Jazz Standards
You don’t need to learn all 253 tunes at once. Instead, follow these four steps.
Step 1: Learn the Shells
Start with the major 7, minor 7 and dominant 7 shapes on both strings. Then add the 6 shapes by moving one note.
Step 2: Learn the ii-V-I
The ii-V-I is the most important chord move in jazz, and most jazz standards contain it. Practice it both ways, so you can play it anywhere on the neck.
- Starting on the 5th string: Dm7 (x 5 3 5 x x) to G7 (3 x 3 4 x x) to Cmaj7 (x 3 2 4 x x).
- Starting on the 6th string: Am7 (5 x 5 5 x x) to D7 (x 5 4 5 x x) to Gmaj7 (3 x 4 4 x x).
- The minor version: Dm7b5 (x 5 3 5 x x) to G7 (3 x 3 4 x x) to Cm6 (x 3 1 2 x x). That’s the sound of Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa.
Our guide to jazz chord progressions covers this move and five more. And for a whole tune built from it, try the Autumn Leaves chords.
Step 3: Start With One- and Two-Shell Tunes
Some tunes use only one or two kinds of shells, so they’re the easiest place to begin.
- Blues heads with just the dominant shell: C Jam Blues, Blue Monk, Straight No Chaser, Watermelon Man and All Blues.
- Modal tunes with just the minor 7 shell: So What, Impressions and Milestones.
- Minor 7 and dominant 7 only: Cantaloupe Island, Footprints, Mr. P.C. and Work Song.
Step 4: Comp Like Freddie Green
To begin with, strum four even, light strokes per bar. Then let each one stop short by easing off the fretting hand right after you strum. The result is a soft “chunk, chunk, chunk, chunk” that locks in with the bass and drums. For bossa novas, play a lighter, syncopated pattern instead.
Tips for Learning Jazz Standards
- Get the chart. Use a fake book or the iReal Pro app for each tune’s chords. Also, the KEY column matches most charts.
- Hear the difference between 6 and 7. Play Cmaj7, then C6. Then play Cm7, then Cm6. The 6 chords have a warmer, older sound that’s all over swing-era tunes like Ain’t Misbehavin’.
- Graduate with All of Me. It uses all six chord types the shells cover, so it’s a great test. Our guide to the All of Me chords then walks you through it.
- Practice on ballads. The chords go by slowly, so ballads are a great place to practice changing shells cleanly.
Scroll inside the table to see all 253 tunes. On a phone, swipe sideways to see every column.
| SONG | COMPOSER | STYLE | KEY | SHELLS USED |
FAMOUS RECORDING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing | Billy Strayhorn | Ballad | Db | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Vince Guaraldi Trio (A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing, 1957) |
| A Foggy Day | George Gershwin | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Afro Blue | Mongo Santamaria | Waltz | Fm | 6 – m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Live at Birdland, 1964) |
| Ain’t Misbehavin’ | Fats Waller & Harry Brooks | Medium Swing | C | 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Louis Armstrong (1929) |
| Airegin | Sonny Rollins | Up-Tempo Swing | Fm | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis (Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, 1954) |
| All Blues | Miles Davis | Waltz | G | 7 | Miles Davis (Kind of Blue, 1959) |
| All of Me | Gerald Marks & Seymour Simons | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Johnny Hartman (All of Me: The Debonair Mr. Hartman, 1957) |
| All of You | Cole Porter | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Miles Davis (‘Round About Midnight, 1957) |
| Alone Together | Arthur Schwartz | Medium Swing | Dm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Jim Hall & Ron Carter (Alone Together, 1972) |
| Always | Irving Berlin | Waltz | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Frank Sinatra (Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session!!!, 1961) |
| Angel Eyes | Matt Dennis | Ballad | Cm | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, 1958) |
| Anthropology | Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker (1945) |
| As Long As I Live | Harold Arlen | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Anita O’Day (This Is Anita, 1956) |
| As Time Goes By | Herman Hupfeld | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Dooley Wilson (Casablanca, 1942) |
| At Last | Harry Warren | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Etta James (At Last!, 1960) |
| Au Privave | Charlie Parker | Up-Tempo Swing | F | m7 – 7 – dim7 | Charlie Parker (1951) |
| Autumn in New York | Vernon Duke | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Tal Farlow (Autumn in New York, 1954) |
| Autumn Leaves | Joseph Kosma | Medium Swing | Gm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Cannonball Adderley (Somethin’ Else, 1958) |
| Bags’ Groove | Milt Jackson | Medium Swing | F | m7 – 7 | Miles Davis (Bags’ Groove, 1957) |
| Beautiful Love | Victor Young, Wayne King & Egbert Van Alstyne | Medium Swing | Dm | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Bill Evans (Explorations, 1961) |
| Bemsha Swing | Thelonious Monk & Denzil Best | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 7 | Thelonious Monk (Brilliant Corners, 1957) |
| Bernie’s Tune | Bernie Miller | Medium-Up Swing | Dm | 6 – m7 – 7 | Gerry Mulligan Quartet (1952) |
| Bewitched | Richard Rodgers | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book, 1956) |
| Beyond the Sea | Charles Trenet | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Bobby Darin (That’s All, 1959) |
| Billie’s Bounce | Charlie Parker | Medium-Up Swing | F | m7 – 7 – dim7 | Charlie Parker’s Re-Boppers (1945) |
| Blue and Sentimental | Count Basie | Ballad | Eb | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ike Quebec (Blue & Sentimental, 1962) |
| Blue Bossa | Kenny Dorham | Bossa Nova | Cm | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Joe Henderson (Page One, 1963) |
| Blue in Green | Miles Davis & Bill Evans | Ballad | Dm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Miles Davis (Kind of Blue, 1959) |
| Blue Monk | Thelonious Monk | Medium Swing | Bb | 7 | Thelonious Monk Trio (Thelonious Monk Trio, 1954) |
| Blue Moon | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Mel Torme (1949) |
| Blues for Alice | Charlie Parker | Medium-Up Swing | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker (Swedish Schnapps, 1951) |
| Bluesette | Toots Thielemans | Waltz | Bb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Toots Thielemans (Bluesette, 1962) |
| Body and Soul | Johnny Green | Ballad | Db | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Coleman Hawkins (1939) |
| Born to Be Blue | Mel Tormé & Robert Wells | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Wes Montgomery (Full House, 1962) |
| Broadway | Wilbur Bird, Teddy McRae & Henri Woode | Medium-Up Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Dexter Gordon (Our Man in Paris, 1963) |
| But Not for Me | George Gershwin | Medium-Up Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ahmad Jamal (At the Pershing: But Not for Me, 1958) |
| Bye Bye Blackbird | Ray Henderson | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis (‘Round About Midnight, 1957) |
| Bésame Mucho | Consuelo Velazquez | Bossa Nova | Dm | m7 – m6 – 7 | Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (1944) |
| C Jam Blues | Duke Ellington | Medium Swing | C | 7 | Oscar Peterson Trio (Night Train, 1962) |
| Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man | Jerome Kern | Slow Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book, 1963) |
| Cantaloupe Island | Herbie Hancock | Straight 8ths | Fm | m7 – 7 | Herbie Hancock (Empyrean Isles, 1964) |
| Caravan | Juan Tizol & Duke Ellington | Latin | Fm | 6 – m7 – 7 | Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (Caravan, 1962) |
| Chameleon | Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson & Harvey Mason | Funk | Bbm | m7 – 7 | Herbie Hancock (Head Hunters, 1973) |
| Cheek to Cheek | Irving Berlin | Medium-Up Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Ella and Louis, 1956) |
| Cherokee | Ray Noble | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Clifford Brown & Max Roach (Study in Brown, 1955) |
| Come Rain or Come Shine | Harold Arlen | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Bill Evans Trio (Portrait in Jazz, 1960) |
| Con Alma | Dizzy Gillespie | Afro | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Dizzy Gillespie (Afro, 1954) |
| Confirmation | Charlie Parker | Up-Tempo Swing | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker (Now’s the Time, 1956) |
| Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Stan Getz & João Gilberto (Getz/Gilberto, 1964) |
| Cotton Tail | Duke Ellington | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1940) |
| Darn That Dream | Jimmy Van Heusen | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Billie Holiday (Body and Soul, 1957) |
| Days of Wine and Roses | Henry Mancini | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Wes Montgomery (Boss Guitar, 1963) |
| Deed I Do | Fred Rose | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie (Ella and Basie!, 1963) |
| Desafinado | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd (Jazz Samba, 1962) |
| Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me | Duke Ellington | Medium Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, 1957) |
| Don’t Blame Me | Jimmy McHugh | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Thelonious Monk (Criss-Cross, 1963) |
| Don’t Get Around Much Anymore | Duke Ellington | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook, 1957) |
| Donna Lee | Charlie Parker | Up-Tempo Swing | Ab | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Charlie Parker Quintet (1947) |
| Doxy | Sonny Rollins | Medium Swing | Bb | 7 – dim7 | Miles Davis (Bags’ Groove, 1957) |
| Dream a Little Dream of Me | Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (1950) |
| Early Autumn | Ralph Burns & Woody Herman | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Woody Herman and His Orchestra (1947) |
| Easy Living | Ralph Rainger | Ballad | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Teddy Wilson featuring Billie Holiday and Lester Young (1937) |
| Embraceable You | George Gershwin | Ballad | G | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Epistrophy | Thelonious Monk & Kenny Clarke | Medium Swing | Db | m6 – 7 | Thelonious Monk (1948) |
| Equinox | John Coltrane | Slow Swing | C#m | m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Coltrane’s Sound, 1964) |
| Exactly Like You | Jimmy McHugh | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Dizzy Gillespie & Stan Getz (Diz and Getz, 1953) |
| Fascinating Rhythm | George Gershwin | Medium-Up Swing | F | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Fever | Eddie Cooley & Otis Blackwell | Medium Swing | Am | m7 – 7 | Peggy Lee (1958) |
| Fine and Dandy | Kay Swift | Medium-Up Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Anita O’Day (This Is Anita, 1956) |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Bart Howard | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Frank Sinatra with Count Basie (It Might as Well Be Swing, 1964) |
| Footprints | Wayne Shorter | Waltz | Cm | m7 – 7 | Miles Davis Quintet (Miles Smiles, 1967) |
| Four | Miles Davis | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis (‘Four’ & More, 1966) |
| Freddie Freeloader | Miles Davis | Medium Swing | Bb | 7 | Miles Davis (Kind of Blue, 1959) |
| From This Moment On | Cole Porter | Up-Tempo Swing | Fm | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, 1956) |
| Georgia on My Mind | Hoagy Carmichael | Slow Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ray Charles (The Genius Hits the Road, 1960) |
| Get Happy | Harold Arlen | Medium-Up Swing | F | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Judy Garland (Summer Stock, 1950) |
| Giant Steps | John Coltrane | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Giant Steps, 1960) |
| Groovin’ High | Dizzy Gillespie | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Dizzy Gillespie (1945) |
| Half Nelson | Miles Davis | Up-Tempo Swing | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis Quintet (Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, 1960) |
| Have You Met Miss Jones? | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book, 1956) |
| Honeysuckle Rose | Fats Waller | Up-Tempo Swing | F | 6 – m7 – 7 | Louis Armstrong (Satch Plays Fats, 1955) |
| How Deep Is the Ocean? | Irving Berlin | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book, 1958) |
| How High the Moon | Morgan Lewis | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife, 1960) |
| How Insensitive | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | Dm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1967) |
| I Can’t Give You Anything but Love | Jimmy McHugh | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Louis Armstrong (1929) |
| I Didn’t Know What Time It Was | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book, 1956) |
| (I Don’t Stand a) Ghost of a Chance | Victor Young | Ballad | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Billie Holiday with Ben Webster (Music for Torching, 1955) |
| I Get a Kick Out of You | Cole Porter | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Frank Sinatra (1953) |
| I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good) | Duke Ellington | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1941) |
| I Got Rhythm | George Gershwin | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| I Remember You | Victor Schertzinger | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book, 1964) |
| I Should Care | Axel Stordahl & Paul Weston | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Bill Evans Trio (How My Heart Sings!, 1962) |
| I Surrender Dear | Harry Barris | Ballad | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Thelonious Monk (Brilliant Corners, 1957) |
| I Wish I Knew | Harry Warren | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Ballads, 1963) |
| I’ll Remember April | Gene de Paul | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Clifford Brown & Max Roach (At Basin Street, 1956) |
| I’m Glad There Is You | Jimmy Dorsey & Paul Madeira | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (Sarah Vaughan, 1955) |
| I’m in the Mood for Love | Jimmy McHugh | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Louis Armstrong (1935) |
| I’m Just a Lucky So and So | Duke Ellington | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington (Together for the First Time, 1961) |
| I’ve Found a New Baby | Jack Palmer & Spencer Williams | Medium Swing | Eb | 6 – m7 – 7 | Benny Goodman Sextet (1940) |
| I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face | Frederick Loewe | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Chet Baker (Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe, 1959) |
| If I Had You | Ted Shapiro, Jimmy Campbell & Reg Connelly | Slow Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Etta Jones (Don’t Go to Strangers, 1960) |
| Impressions | John Coltrane | Up-Tempo Swing | Dm | m7 | John Coltrane (Impressions, 1963) |
| In a Mellow Tone | Duke Ellington | Medium Swing | Ab | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1940) |
| Indiana | James F. Hanley | Up-Tempo Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1917) |
| Isn’t It Romantic | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Tal Farlow (Tal, 1956) |
| It Could Happen to You | Jimmy Van Heusen | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Miles Davis Quintet (Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, 1958) |
| It Don’t Mean a Thing | Duke Ellington | Medium-Up Swing | Bb | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra featuring Ivie Anderson (1932) |
| It Had to Be You | Isham Jones | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ray Charles (The Genius of Ray Charles, 1959) |
| It’s Only a Paper Moon | Harold Arlen | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (1945) |
| It’s You or No One | Jule Styne | Up-Tempo Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Dexter Gordon (It’s You or No One, 1983) |
| Jeepers Creepers | Harry Warren | Medium Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Louis Armstrong (1938) |
| Jordu | Duke Jordan | Up-Tempo Swing | Cm | Maj7 – m6 – 7 | Clifford Brown & Max Roach (Brown and Roach Incorporated, 1954) |
| Joy Spring | Clifford Brown | Up-Tempo Swing | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Clifford Brown & Max Roach (Clifford Brown & Max Roach, 1954) |
| Just Friends | John Klenner | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker (Charlie Parker with Strings, 1950) |
| Just in Time | Jule Styne | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Frank Sinatra (Come Dance with Me!, 1959) |
| Just One of Those Things | Cole Porter | Up-Tempo Swing | F | 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Nat King Cole (Just One of Those Things, 1957) |
| Just You, Just Me | Jesse Greer | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Swings Lightly, 1958) |
| La Vie en Rose | Louiguy | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Louis Armstrong (1950) |
| Lady Bird | Tadd Dameron | Up-Tempo Swing | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Tadd Dameron with Fats Navarro (1948) |
| Like Someone in Love | Jimmy Van Heusen | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Chet Baker (Chet Baker Sings, 1956) |
| Little Boat (O Barquinho) | Roberto Menescal | Bossa Nova | Bb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Lorez Alexandria (More of the Great Lorez Alexandria, 1964) |
| Love for Sale | Cole Porter | Medium-Up Swing | Bbm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Cannonball Adderley (Somethin’ Else, 1958) |
| Love Is Here to Stay | George Gershwin | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Ella and Louis Again, 1957) |
| Lover | Richard Rodgers | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Peggy Lee (Lover, 1952) |
| Lover Come Back to Me | Sigmund Romberg | Medium-Up Swing | Eb | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | John Coltrane (Black Pearls, 1964) |
| Lullaby of Birdland | George Shearing | Medium Swing | Ab | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (Sarah Vaughan, 1955) |
| Lush Life | Billy Strayhorn | Ballad | Db | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, 1963) |
| Mack the Knife | Kurt Weill | Medium Swing | Bb | 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Mack the Knife: Ella in Berlin, 1960) |
| Manhã de Carnaval (Black Orpheus) | Luiz Bonfa | Bossa Nova | Am | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Stan Getz (Big Band Bossa Nova, 1962) |
| Mean to Me | Fred E. Ahlert | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson and Lester Young (1937) |
| Midnight Sun | Lionel Hampton & Sonny Burke | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Like Someone in Love, 1957) |
| Milestones | Miles Davis | Up-Tempo Swing | Gm | m7 | Miles Davis (Milestones, 1958) |
| Misty | Erroll Garner | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Erroll Garner (Contrasts, 1954) |
| Moment’s Notice | John Coltrane | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Blue Train, 1958) |
| Mona Lisa | Jay Livingston | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Nat King Cole (1950) |
| Mood Indigo | Duke Ellington & Barney Bigard | Ballad | Ab | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1930) |
| Moon River | Henry Mancini | Waltz | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Henry Mancini & Orchestra (Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Music from the Motion Picture, 1961) |
| Moondance | Van Morrison | Medium Swing | Am | 6 – m7 – 7 | Van Morrison (Moondance, 1970) |
| Moonglow | Will Hudson & Irving Mills | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Benny Goodman Quartet (1936) |
| Moose the Mooche | Charlie Parker | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker Septet (1946) |
| More Than You Know | Vincent Youmans | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Like Someone in Love, 1957) |
| Mr. P.C. | John Coltrane | Up-Tempo Swing | Cm | m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Giant Steps, 1960) |
| My Favorite Things | Richard Rodgers | Waltz | Em | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (My Favorite Things, 1961) |
| My Funny Valentine | Richard Rodgers | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker (1953) |
| My Ideal | Richard A. Whiting & Newell Chase | Ballad | Eb | 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Chet Baker (Chet Baker Sings, 1956) |
| My Romance | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Bill Evans Trio (Waltz for Debby, 1962) |
| My Shining Hour | Harold Arlen | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | John Coltrane (Coltrane Jazz, 1961) |
| Naima | John Coltrane | Ballad | Ab | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | John Coltrane (Giant Steps, 1960) |
| Nardis | Miles Davis | Medium Swing | Em | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Bill Evans Trio (Explorations, 1961) |
| Night and Day | Cole Porter | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Bill Evans (Everybody Digs Bill Evans, 1959) |
| Now’s the Time | Charlie Parker | Medium Swing | F | m7 – 7 – dim7 | Charlie Parker’s Re-Boppers (1945) |
| Nuages | Django Reinhardt | Slow Swing | G | 6 – m6 – 7 | Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France (1940) |
| Oh, Lady Be Good! | George Gershwin | Medium-Up Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Oleo | Sonny Rollins | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis Quintet (Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, 1958) |
| On Green Dolphin Street | Bronislau Kaper | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis Sextet (Jazz Track, 1958) |
| On the Sunny Side of the Street | Jimmy McHugh | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt & Sonny Rollins (Sonny Side Up, 1959) |
| Once I Loved | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | Dm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, 1967) |
| One Note Samba | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd (Jazz Samba, 1962) |
| Ornithology | Charlie Parker & Benny Harris | Up-Tempo Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker Septet (Dial single, 1946) |
| Out of Nowhere | Johnny Green | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Dave Brubeck Quartet (Jazz Goes to College, 1954) |
| Pennies from Heaven | Arthur Johnston | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Frank Sinatra (Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!, 1956) |
| Perdido | Juan Tizol | Latin | Bb | 6 – m7 – 7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1942) |
| Polka Dots and Moonbeams | Jimmy Van Heusen | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Wes Montgomery (The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, 1960) |
| Prelude to a Kiss | Duke Ellington | Ballad | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1938) |
| Recorda Me | Joe Henderson | Bossa Nova | Am | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Joe Henderson (Page One, 1963) |
| Remember | Irving Berlin | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Hank Mobley (Soul Station, 1960) |
| Rhythm-a-Ning | Thelonious Monk | Medium-Up Swing | Bb | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1958) |
| ‘S Wonderful! | George Gershwin | Medium-Up Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Salt Peanuts | Dizzy Gillespie & Kenny Clarke | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Dizzy Gillespie (1945) |
| Satin Doll | Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1953) |
| Scrapple from the Apple | Charlie Parker | Up-Tempo Swing | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Dexter Gordon (Our Man in Paris, 1963) |
| Skylark | Hoagy Carmichael | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Stan Getz & Jimmy Rowles (The Peacocks, 1975) |
| Smile | Charlie Chaplin | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Nat King Cole (1954) |
| Smoke Gets in Your Eyes | Jerome Kern | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | The Platters (1958) |
| So Nice (Summer Samba) | Marcos Valle | Bossa Nova | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Walter Wanderley (Rain Forest, 1966) |
| So What | Miles Davis | Up-Tempo Swing | Dm | m7 | Miles Davis (Kind of Blue, 1959) |
| Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise | Sigmund Romberg | Medium Swing | Cm | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Sonny Rollins (A Night at the Village Vanguard, 1958) |
| Solar | Miles Davis & Chuck Wayne | Medium Swing | Cm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Bill Evans Trio (Sunday at the Village Vanguard, 1961) |
| Solitude | Duke Ellington | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Billie Holiday (Solitude, 1956) |
| Someday My Prince Will Come | Frank Churchill | Waltz | Bb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Miles Davis (Someday My Prince Will Come, 1961) |
| Someone to Watch Over Me | George Gershwin | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Lee Wiley (1939) |
| Sonnymoon for Two | Sonny Rollins | Medium-Up Swing | Bb | m7 – 7 | Sonny Rollins (A Night at the Village Vanguard, 1958) |
| Soon | George Gershwin | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Sophisticated Lady | Duke Ellington | Ballad | Ab | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1933) |
| Speak Low | Kurt Weill | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Chico Hamilton Quintet (The Chico Hamilton Quintet with Strings Attached, 1958) |
| Speak No Evil | Wayne Shorter | Medium Swing | Cm | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Wayne Shorter (Speak No Evil, 1966) |
| St. Louis Blues | W.C. Handy | Medium Swing | G | 7 | Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong (1925) |
| St. Thomas | Sonny Rollins | Latin | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Sonny Rollins (Saxophone Colossus, 1956) |
| Stella by Starlight | Victor Young | Medium Swing | Bb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis Sextet (Jazz Track, 1958) |
| Stolen Moments | Oliver Nelson | Medium Swing | Cm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Oliver Nelson (The Blues and the Abstract Truth, 1961) |
| Stompin’ at the Savoy | Edgar Sampson | Medium Swing | Db | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Chick Webb and His Orchestra (1934) |
| Stormy Weather | Harold Arlen | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Lena Horne (Stormy Weather, 1957) |
| Straight No Chaser | Thelonious Monk | Medium-Up Swing | Bb | 7 | Miles Davis (Milestones, 1958) |
| Street of Dreams | Victor Young | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Grant Green (Street of Dreams, 1967) |
| Strike Up the Band | George Gershwin | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book, 1959) |
| Summertime | George Gershwin | Slow Swing | Am | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Porgy and Bess, 1959) |
| Sunny | Bobby Hebb | Straight 8ths | Am | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Bobby Hebb (Sunny, 1966) |
| Sweet Georgia Brown | Ben Bernie & Maceo Pinkard | Up-Tempo Swing | Ab | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Brother Bones and His Shadows (1949) |
| Sweet Lorraine | Cliff Burwell | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Nat King Cole Trio (After Midnight, 1957) |
| Só Danço Samba | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto (Getz/Gilberto, 1964) |
| Take Five | Paul Desmond | Medium-Up Swing | Ebm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | The Dave Brubeck Quartet (Time Out, 1959) |
| Take the “A” Train | Billy Strayhorn | Medium-Up Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra (1941) |
| Tangerine | Victor Schertzinger | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (1942) |
| Tea for Two | Vincent Youmans | Medium Swing | Ab | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Art Tatum (1939) |
| Tenderly | Walter Gross | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Ella and Louis, 1956) |
| Tenor Madness | Sonny Rollins | Medium-Up Swing | Bb | m7 – 7 | Sonny Rollins (Tenor Madness, 1956) |
| The End of a Love Affair | Edward Redding | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Billie Holiday (Lady in Satin, 1958) |
| The Girl from Ipanema | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | F | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto featuring Astrud Gilberto (Getz/Gilberto, 1964) |
| The Lady Is a Tramp | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book, 1956) |
| The Man I Love | George Gershwin | Ballad | Eb | 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, 1959) |
| The Nearness of You | Hoagy Carmichael | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Ella and Louis, 1956) |
| The Sidewinder | Lee Morgan | Funk | Eb | 7 | Lee Morgan (The Sidewinder, 1964) |
| The Song Is You | Jerome Kern | Up-Tempo Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Charlie Parker (Now’s the Time, 1956) |
| The Surrey with the Fringe on Top | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Miles Davis Quintet (Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, 1961) |
| The Way You Look Tonight | Jerome Kern | Up-Tempo Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book, 1963) |
| There Is No Greater Love | Isham Jones | Medium Swing | Bb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Sonny Rollins (Way Out West, 1957) |
| There Will Never Be Another You | Harry Warren | Medium-Up Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Chet Baker (Chet Baker Sings, 1954) |
| These Foolish Things | Jack Strachey & Harry Link | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday (1936) |
| They Say It’s Wonderful | Irving Berlin | Medium Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, 1963) |
| Things Ain’t What They Used to Be | Mercer Ellington | Medium Swing | Db | m7 – 7 | Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra (1942) |
| Too Close for Comfort | Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener & George David Weiss | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Frank Sinatra (Come Dance with Me!, 1959) |
| Too Marvelous for Words | Richard Whiting | Medium Swing | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Frank Sinatra (Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!, 1956) |
| Topsy | Edgar Battle & Eddie Durham | Medium Swing | Dm | m7 – 7 | Cozy Cole (1958) |
| Triste | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | A | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Antonio Carlos Jobim (Wave, 1967) |
| Tune Up | Miles Davis | Up-Tempo Swing | Bb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis Quintet (Cookin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet, 1957) |
| Undecided | Charlie Shavers | Medium-Up Swing | C | 6 – m7 – 7 | Chick Webb and His Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald (1939) |
| Unforgettable | Irving Gordon | Ballad | G | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Nat King Cole (Unforgettable, 1952) |
| Walkin’ | Richard Carpenter | Up-Tempo Swing | F | m7 – 7 – dim7 | Miles Davis (Walkin’, 1957) |
| Watch What Happens | Michel Legrand | Bossa Nova | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Wes Montgomery (A Day in the Life, 1967) |
| Watermelon Man | Herbie Hancock | Straight 8ths | F | 7 | Herbie Hancock (Takin’ Off, 1962) |
| Wave | Antonio Carlos Jobim | Bossa Nova | D | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 – dim7 | Antonio Carlos Jobim (Wave, 1967) |
| Well, You Needn’t | Thelonious Monk | Medium Swing | F | 6 – 7 | Thelonious Monk with Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane (Monk’s Music, 1957) |
| What a Difference a Day Made | Maria Grever | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Dinah Washington (What a Diff’rence a Day Makes!, 1959) |
| What a Wonderful World | George David Weiss & Bob Thiele | Ballad | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Louis Armstrong (What a Wonderful World, 1967) |
| What Is This Thing Called Love? | Cole Porter | Up-Tempo Swing | C | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Clifford Brown & Max Roach (At Basin Street, 1956) |
| What’s New? | Bob Haggart | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | John Coltrane (Ballads, 1963) |
| When I Fall in Love | Victor Young | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Nat King Cole (Love Is the Thing, 1957) |
| When Lights Are Low | Benny Carter | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Miles Davis (Blue Haze, 1956) |
| When You Wish Upon a Star | Leigh Harline | Ballad | C | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Cliff Edwards (Pinocchio, 1940) |
| Whisper Not | Benny Golson | Medium Swing | Cm | m7 – 7 | Benny Golson (Benny Golson’s New York Scene, 1957) |
| Will You Still Be Mine | Matt Dennis | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Red Garland Trio (Groovy, 1957) |
| Willow Weep for Me | Ann Ronell | Slow Swing | G | 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Frank Sinatra (Only the Lonely, 1958) |
| Without a Song | Vincent Youmans | Up-Tempo Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Sonny Rollins (The Bridge, 1962) |
| Work Song | Nat Adderley | Medium-Up Swing | Fm | m7 – 7 | Nat Adderley (Work Song, 1960) |
| Yardbird Suite | Charlie Parker | Medium-Up Swing | C | 6 – m7 – 7 | Charlie Parker Septet (1946) |
| You Can Depend on Me | Charles Carpenter, Louis Dunlap & Earl Hines | Medium-Up Swing | F | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Louis Armstrong (1931) |
| You Don’t Know What Love Is | Gene de Paul | Ballad | Fm | Maj7 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Sonny Rollins (Saxophone Colossus, 1956) |
| You Go to My Head | J. Fred Coots | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Billie Holiday (1938) |
| You Stepped Out of a Dream | Nacio Herb Brown | Medium Swing | C | Maj7 – m7 – 7 | Sonny Rollins (Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2, 1957) |
| You Took Advantage of Me | Richard Rodgers | Medium Swing | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book, 1956) |
| You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to | Cole Porter | Medium-Up Swing | Am | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 – dim7 | Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown (Helen Merrill, 1954) |
| You’re My Thrill | Jay Gorney & Sidney Clare | Medium Swing | A | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – 7 | Peggy Lee (Black Coffee, 1956) |
| You’ve Changed | Carl Fischer | Ballad | Eb | Maj7 – 6 – m7 – m6 – 7 | Billie Holiday (Lady in Satin, 1958) |
How We Built This List
These rules decided which tunes made the list.
- Ten shells. Every tune can be played with the ten shapes above. We also tested every chord in every tune.
- Every chord gets its own shell. A 6 chord is played as a 6, and a 7 chord as a 7. Extra color notes are left out, which is how rhythm guitarists usually comp with a band.
- What’s left out. Tunes that need a sus chord, a minor-major 7th or an augmented triad (like C+) need extra shapes, so they’re not here. That’s why favorites like All the Things You Are, ‘Round Midnight and Maiden Voyage are missing.
- One set of charts. The chords come from the iReal Pro charts most jazz players use, spot-checked against other published charts. Charts vary a little, so if yours shows a different passing chord, go with the chart you’re reading.
- The best-known tunes, one entry each. Most tunes come from the most-recorded jazz standards, plus well-known bebop, modal and bossa nova classics.
Keep Learning
For full five- and six-note jazz chords, see our free 10 Jazz Guitar Chords chart and the 80 Guitar Chords You MUST Know course. If you’d like a gentler start, our beginner’s guide to learning jazz guitar songs is a good first step.
And once the shells feel natural, our jazz rhythm guitar guide shows how to add color and movement to your comping.
Learn and Play 25 Jazz Standards on TrueFire!Start →
Continue Learning
Explore the rest of this series:
- 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
- All of Me Chords for Jazz Guitar: Play the 1931 Standard With Shell Voicings
About the Education Team
Four music-industry veterans with decades of combined experience in music education, curation, and production at TrueFire and ArtistWorks. The TrueFire Studios Education Team plans and edits this content and works with our master-musician faculty to keep it accurate and genuinely useful.
