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The most common Keys for Jazz Standards.
(In no particular order) I'm guessing:
1. C
2. F
3. Bb
4. Eb
5. Ab
6. D
7. G
Obviously, flat keys are popular, because they are easier keys for Brass instruments.
(See below). These are probably Charlie Parker's most common keys based on his recordings:
See also this thread for the most common keys in the Real Book:
Jazz standard's key distribution statistics (based on Real Book)
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08-26-2024 08:03 AM
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Based on no data at all, I would guess not C.
Probably
Bb
Eb
F
Ab
C
G and Db maybe roughly equal, maybe a bit more Db
The horn transpositions make them make sense. They’re good reading keys without a lot of accidentals for the horns.
Bb is C for the trumpets and tenors, G for the altos
Eb is F for the trumpets and tenors, C for the altos
F is G and D
Ab is Bb and F.
etc.
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I can only think of a couple of tunes that are in D (major, anyway). I'd guess that a large majority of what gets called is Bb, F Eb, Ab, C (not sure what order). Then minor keys, then maybe G. Singers might call Db (and get grumbling from the band ...).
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
The most common Keys for Jazz Standards.
(In no particular order) I'm guessing:
1. C
2. F
3. Bb
4. Eb
5. Ab
6. D
7. G
Obviously, flat keys are popular, because they are easier keys for Brass instruments.
(See below). These are probably Charlie Parker's most common keys based on his recordings:
See also this thread for the most common keys in the Real Book:
Jazz standard's key distribution statistics (based on Real Book)
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From the set list we performed last night...
C____8___22%
G____6___16%
Cm__4___11%
A____3___8%
Fm__3___8%
Bm__2___5%
D____2___5%
Em__2___5%
F____2___5%
Am__1___3%
B____1___3%
Dm__1___3%
E____1___3%
Eb__1___3%
A trio (guitar/bass/drums) so no piano and maybe key of C is over represented because pianists don't like C (without black keys they have to keep looking at their hands)?
Similarly the almost absence of flat keys may be that we aren't playing horn songs.Last edited by pauln; 08-26-2024 at 12:05 PM.
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Only half the circle of 4ths.
With C - Eb being the most common, Ab used some, and G and Db sparingly. G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db.
This peeves me so I play in every key by playing in 1 key and its parallel minor for a few days then move up a half step.
Celia by Bud Powell is written in B.
Nice take by Monk of I should care in D. Song written in C.
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Blues usually gets played in Bb or F. There are exceptions, of course.
Rhythm changes are usually played in Bb.
When I hear standards gigs there always seem to be some blues and rhythm changes, so those keys get a kind of head start.
After that, keys for jazz standards are often selected to be easy on the horn players as others have pointed out. So, Bb and Eb are common.
After that, I'm not sure about frequency of different keys. I'd guess that C is next, based on the standards I tend to call, but a horn player might think differently. There are some Ab and G that get called.
Minor keys probably follow the same pattern, referring to the number of sharps/flats in the key. So, Dm is common.
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Yes, I noticed that too. Originally Posted by Bobby Timmons
Only half the circle of 4ths.
Rearranged list from my first post in circle of 4ths.
6. D
7. G
1. C
2. F
3. Bb
4. Eb
5. Ab
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Most of the tunes I play are in F or Eb. Some in Bb. Rarely in C.
I play 50% Bigband and 50% in Trio with Sax.
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Whatever the vocalist wants, otherwise horn (flat) keys mostly. Lots of big band charts modulate through several keys. And I like Toots’ idea of modulating to the b6 key on the second half of an AA tune, e.g. Daze of Whine & Rotis.
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Gabor did the stats in a 2019 thread, counting 1000 Real Book tunes, classified by major and its relative minor:
F/D-: 194/37 (23.1%)
Eb/C-: 154/43 (19.7%)
C/A-: 153/8 (16.1%)
Bb/G-: 134/24 (15.8%)
G/E-: 88/8 (9.6%)
Ab/F-: 50/40 (9%)
Db/Bb-: 19/13 (3.1%)
D/B-: 12/1 (1.3%)
Gb/Eb-: 2/9 (1.2%)
E/C#-: 2/4 (.6%)
A/F#-: 2/0 (.2%)
B/G#-: 2/1 (.3%)
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Yes, the Real Book stats are good stuff, I quoted and linked to that thread in my first post. Originally Posted by Litterick
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Im a tiny bit surprised that C is that high but I’m very surprised that G is that high. Originally Posted by Litterick
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I suspect the Real Book stats are flawed, because they include everything in those books. Many of them are seldom played, but have the same value in the stats as the songs everybody knows.
A study that concentrated on the songs that are generally considered to be essential for a musician's repertoire would be more accurate. If someone were to analyse the songs in Ted Gioia's book on the jazz standards, the results might be different.
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Originally Posted by pamosmusic
Yes, more like pop music than jazz as we know it; I am beginning to regret that post.
Five years ago, Spotify surveyed the thirty million songs in its database, and found more than a third were either G major, C major, D major, or A major. But most of those songs will never be heard by most of us. A survey of the songs we hear in the supermarket might be more accurate.
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The half with the flats... Originally Posted by Bobby Timmons
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Originally Posted by pamosmusic
Charlie Parker's list of common recording keys has C and Bb the highest at 23%. This is from Thomas Owens published analysis, hopefully a very credible source. (See below)
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This doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, when I was first playing jazz and working on CAGED-based fingerings, I tried mapping those same keys to CAGED by rearranging both into a cycle of 4ths: G, C, F, Bb, Eb for the keys and E, A, D, G, C forms for the fingerings. Originally Posted by GuyBoden
Charlie Parker's list of common recording keys has C and Bb the highest at 23%. This is from Thomas Owens published analysis, hopefully a very credible source. (See below)
Take these all up a fret/semitone (starting from Ab on the 6th string) until you get back to the initial key/form up an octave and you'll have covered every key in every form.
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