My Funny Valentine

Richard Rodgers · Key of Cm · AABA

Intermediate · 8 unique chords

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote this for the 1937 musical Babes in Arms. The chromatic descending bass line in the A section (Cm-CmMaj7-Cm7-Cm6) is one of the most famous harmonic sequences in jazz.

Voicing style:

A

Cm7Rootless A

Cm(maj7)Rootless A

Cm7Rootless A

Cm6Close

Abmaj7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

Dø7Rootless A

G7b9Rootless B

A2

Cm7Rootless A

Cm(maj7)Rootless A

Cm7Rootless A

Cm6Close

Abmaj7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

Dø7Rootless A

G7b9Rootless B

B

Ebmaj7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

Ebmaj7Rootless B

G7b9Rootless B

Cm7Rootless A

Abmaj7Rootless B

Dø7Rootless A

G7b9Rootless B

Cm7Rootless A

A3

Cm7Rootless A

Cm(maj7)Rootless A

Cm7Rootless A

Cm6Close

Abmaj7Rootless B

Dø7Rootless A

G7b9Rootless B

Cm7Rootless A

Dø7Rootless A

G7b9Rootless B

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Practice this standard

Stage 4Close Position & Drop 2 — Learning Path

Listen to

Miles Davis — My Funny Valentine (1964)

Herbie Hancock's voicings on this live recording — chromatic bass line with rootless colours.

Chords in this standard

Cm7 Cm(maj7)Cm6 Abmaj7 Fm7 Dø7 G7b9 Ebmaj7

Related standards

There Will Never Be Another You

Harry Warren · Key of Eb

Solar

Miles Davis · Key of Cm

All The Things You Are

Jerome Kern · Key of Ab

Blue Bossa

Kenny Dorham · Key of Cm

Misty

Erroll Garner · Key of Eb

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