Rhythm Changes A Section
The Rhythm changes A section is the chord progression I vi / ii V / I vi / ii V / I I7 / IV iv / I V / I. In the key of C major it is C Am / Dm G / C Am / Dm G / C C7 / F Fm / C G / C, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1 6m / 2m 5 / 1 6m / 2m 5 / 1 1(7) / 4 4m / 1 5 / 1.
It is also known as I Got Rhythm changes, Anatole.
Chords from outside the key of C major: C7, Fm.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
A two bar I-vi-ii-V is played twice, then I7 tips the harmony towards IV and the minor iv gives a soft colour before the phrase closes on I. Almost everything comes from the major scale, with iv borrowed from the parallel minor. Players swap in many substitutions, so this is a template rather than a fixed chart.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | Charlie Parker | A section | Bb G7 | Cm7 F7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bb major |
| Oleo | Sonny Rollins | A section | Bb G7 | Cm7 F7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | Bb major |
| I Got Rhythm | George Gershwin | A section | I vi | ii V | I vi | ii V | I I7 | IV iv | I V | I | Bb major |
Rhythm Changes A Section: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Descending ii-V-Is: Cmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7
- ii-V-I: Dm G C
- Circle progression: C Am Dm G
- Backdoor progression: Fm7 Bb7 C
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Rhythm changes A section in each key?
In C major: C Am Dm G C Am Dm G C C7 F Fm C G C. In G major: G Em Am D G Em Am D G G7 C Cm G D G. In D major: D Bm Em A D Bm Em A D D7 G Gm D A D. In A major: A F#m Bm E A F#m Bm E A A7 D Dm A E A. In E major: E C#m F#m B E C#m F#m B E E7 A Am E B E.
Which songs use the Rhythm changes A section?
Songs that use it include Anthropology by Charlie Parker, Oleo by Sonny Rollins, I Got Rhythm by George Gershwin.
