Body And Soul

Johnny Green · Key of Db · AABA

Advanced · 14 unique chords

Johnny Green composed this in 1930, and Coleman Hawkins's 1939 solo recording transformed it into a jazz standard. With its key of Db and multiple modulations, it is widely considered the most harmonically challenging common standard (Gioia, The Jazz Standards).

Voicing style:

A

Ebm7Rootless A

Bb7b13Rootless B

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Dbmaj7Rootless A

Gb7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

E°7Close

A7Rootless B

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Db6Close

Gb7Rootless B

Fø7Rootless B

E7Rootless B

A2

Ebm7Rootless A

Bb7b13Rootless B

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Dbmaj7Rootless A

Gb7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

E°7Close

A7Rootless B

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Db6Close

Db6Close

B

Dm7Rootless A

G7Rootless B

Cmaj7Rootless A

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Dbmaj7Rootless A

Dm7Rootless A

G7Rootless B

Cmaj7Rootless A

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

A3

Ebm7Rootless A

Bb7b13Rootless B

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Dbmaj7Rootless A

Gb7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

E°7Close

A7Rootless B

Ebm7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

Db6Close

Dbmaj7Rootless A

Get 50 Essential Jazz Voicings (Free PDF)

Enter your email and we'll send it straight to your inbox.

Practice this standard

Stage 6Upper Structure Triads — Learning Path

Listen to

Coleman Hawkins — Body and Soul (single) (1939)

The recording that defined jazz ballad playing — study the underlying harmonic movement.

Keith Jarrett — Standards Vol. 1 (1983)

Jarrett's solo piano voicings show modern open and spread techniques.

Chords in this standard

Ebm7 Bb7b13 Ab7 Dbmaj7 Gb7 Fm7 E°7 A7 Db6 Fø7 E7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7

Related standards

All The Things You Are

Jerome Kern · Key of Ab

All Of Me

Marks/Simons · Key of C

Blue Bossa

Kenny Dorham · Key of Cm

Fly Me To The Moon

Bart Howard · Key of C

Satin Doll

Duke Ellington · Key of C

Sources & Further Reading

Gioia, The Jazz Standards — Oxford University Press Levine, The Jazz Piano Book — Sher Music Mantooth, Voicings for Jazz Keyboard — Hal Leonard Jazz at Lincoln Center — Education Learn Jazz Standards