Online Resource for Typical Keys of Standards

[Teasing the Korean]

Because I have for the most part played either solo or behind singers over the decades, there are so, so many tunes whose typically accepted keys I've completely forgotten. Is there a decent online resource that includes this information?

[sgcim]

I've always used The Vanilla Book.

http://www.ralphpatt.com/Song.html

[Jim R]

http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm

Click on a song; scroll down to musical analysis

I can't vouch for the accuracy of the info, but it's a useful site.

[Teasing the Korean]

These are great, thank you! I will be interested to see how deep into the standard repertoire they extend.

[AllenLowe]

ask me.

[Teasing the Korean]

ask me.

OK, I'll send you a PM with 2,000+ titles and I'll expect an immediate response.

Seriously, I appreciate the offer. There are a number of deep-catalog tunes by the "Great American Songbook" composers that may not be readily attainable. I will ask you about these if I can't find them elsewhere.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Teasing the Korean

[AllenLowe]

well, I didn't say I'd know the answer.....

but I have spent about 30 years dealing with obscure sheet music and lead sheet and fake books.

I do once remember reading Steve Kuhn complaining that Benny Goodman "played the sheet music changes," but I did also notice that sometimes Monk did the same (check out More than You Know, with Rollins, or Monk's solo version of Dinah). It's good to know both sheet music and fake books because, when you re-harmonize, it helps a lot to see what the original composer was thinking.

[Teasing the Korean]

well, I didn't say I'd know the answer.....

but I have spent about 30 years dealing with obscure sheet music and lead sheet and fake books.

But fake books don't always include things in the original keys, do they? "Green Dolphin" is the obvious example. I suppose that fake book keys can become the accepted keys over time.

[JSngry]

You gotta look for old fake books, ones that essentially compile old, original sheet music lead sheets.

[page]

I usually check jazzstandards.com first for info. They have a description of the form too at a lot of songs, that can come in handt. Beisdes that, I always check the RB key from the old RB since most musicians still use that. The original key doesn't necessarily have to be the custom key though. Responding about singers, most songs that are in the RB are not in a vocal key, especially not a female key. Therefore singers need to bring their own transposed sheets.

We can make a list here too. So everyone can check the list when he or she wants. I'll start
Autumn Leaves, usually in Em or Gm. I think Em is the original key, but most musicians play it in Gm.

[AllenLowe]

yeah original keys can differ - Body and Soul was in C, Like Someone in Love was in C; East of the Sun in G.

Sonny Stitt had a rep for making his rhythm sections play in weird keys, but Bobby Buster told me it was because Stitt often knew the tune in one horn's key, decided to play it on another horn, and didn't want to transpose (so Body and Soul would end up in Gb when he played it on alto).

Edited November 25, 2014 by AllenLowe

[Teasing the Korean]

Responding about singers, most songs that are in the RB are not in a vocal key, especially not a female key.

This is precisely my reason for asking the question. Because I have primarily played either solo (in whatever the hell key I'm in the mood for) or with singers (based on their ranges), I have forgotten the standard keys of many tunes. Among my very finite number of musical aptitudes, transposing on the fly is one of them. I barely ever use sheet music (although I write charts for my original tunes and arrangements). The downside of this is that, if I"m playing with other pitched musical instruments and tunes are called, I don't remember original keys. If it is a tune that I'm rusty on, I like to have an idea of the key in advance, if possible.

The old Real Book that I had in the 1980s was pretty awful - wrong changes throughout, God only knows about the keys. Is the more recent three-volume set more reliable?

Edited November 25, 2014 by Teasing the Korean

[JSngry]

You're in the Tampa-St. Pete area, iirc? Still lots of old folks there. right? Ask around to the ancient dinosaur lounge pianists and/or their survivors. They might well have some old-ass fake books. Remember, those things predated Real Books etc by decades, used to be sold underground, and were intended for any gigging musician, not just jazz players. I inherited one from my HS band director that's full of all kinds of bad songs and good ones, verses to songs, original changes, etc. It's a mess, but it's also a bit of a treasure, just because.

These are not things that usually pop up on eBay or the like, because of the limited nature of their original use and circulation. But go ask the dinosaurs. Find some guy named Frank LaVitro who's been playing cocktail piano at the Muffinbread Room in the Rostendorfer Hotel since 1937, see what he's got.

[page]

Responding about singers, most songs that are in the RB are not in a vocal key, especially not a female key.

This is precisely my reason for asking the question. Because I have primarily played either solo (in whatever the hell key I'm in the mood for) or with singers (based on their ranges), I have forgotten the standard keys of many tunes. Among my very finite number of musical aptitudes, transposing on the fly is one of them. I barely ever use sheet music (although I write charts for my original tunes and arrangements). The downside of this is that, if I"m playing with other pitched musical instruments and tunes are called, I don't remember original keys. If it is a tune that I'm rusty on, I like to have an idea of the key in advance, if possible.

The old Real Book that I had in the 1980s was pretty awful - wrong changes throughout, God only knows about the keys. Is the more recent three-volume set more reliable?

Yeah, I thought so. Yes, I know the changes are bad in the old RB. I hear the fakebooks of Sher music have the best changes. Don't know about the keys though. Musicians over here still use the old RB, so that's why I always check that one too; but I usually bring my own sheets anyway even when they are in the RB key, just to make sure the changes are what I want or expect them to be.

My hat's off to anyone who can transpose on the fly! There are apps with the RB changes too, maybe those are from the latest RB. I see some tablets at music-stands.

[page]

Can I ask which key you guys use for "The very thought of you" ?
Thanks.
Kind regards, page

[AllenLowe]

actually, my new policy is that everything is in Db.

However, since you asked - Dick Hyman's book puts it in Ab.

[page]

Hi Allen,
thanks. So the same as the RB. I did this song with a big band and there the arrangement was in Eb. I want to take it to a session but usually I check first whether I can sing
a song in the key the musicians are used to.

Edited February 4, 2015 by page