Stella By Starlight

Victor Young · Key of Bb · Through

Intermediate · 18 unique chords

Victor Young wrote this for the 1944 film The Uninvited. Its through-composed form with dense modulations has made it one of the most challenging and most recorded standards in jazz.

Voicing style:

A

Eø7Rootless A

A7b9Rootless B

Cm7Rootless A

F7Rootless B

Fm7Rootless B

Bb7Rootless B

Ebmaj7Rootless A

Ab7Rootless B

B

Bbmaj7Rootless B

Eø7Rootless A

A7b9Rootless B

Dm7Rootless A

Bbm7Rootless B

Eb7Rootless A

Fmaj7Rootless A

Eø7Rootless A

A7b9Rootless B

C

Aø7Rootless B

D7b9Rootless A

Gm7Rootless B

Gm7Rootless B

Cø7Rootless A

F7b9Rootless A

Bbmaj7Rootless B

Bbmaj7Rootless B

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Practice this standard

Stage 6Upper Structure Triads — Learning Path

Listen to

Bill Evans — At the Montreux Jazz Festival (1968)

Evans's advanced reharmonisation with upper structure triads throughout.

Chords in this standard

Eø7 A7b9 Cm7 F7 Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Ab7 Bbmaj7 Dm7 Bbm7 Eb7 Fmaj7 Aø7 D7b9 Gm7 Cø7 F7b9

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Joseph Kosma · Key of Gm

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Jerome Kern · Key of Ab

There Will Never Be Another You

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Misty

Erroll Garner · Key of Eb

Just Friends

John Klenner · 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