My Romance — Chord Changes & Harmonic Analysis
- Composer:
- Richard Rodgers
- Year:
- 1935
- Key:
- C major
- Form:
- AABA (32 bars)
- Style:
- Jazz Standard
- Tempo:
- 80–140 BPM
Classic Rodgers and Hart ballad with beautiful voice leading. A favorite for ballad playing with sophisticated harmonic movement.
About This Standard
Composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the 1935 Broadway musical Jumbo, My Romance is one of the most recorded Rodgers and Hart songs in jazz. Its gentle, lilting character and clean harmonic language make it popular with both singers and pianists. Bill Evans's solo piano version is considered the definitive jazz interpretation.
Notable recordings:
- Jimmy Durante — (1935 original Broadway)
- Bill Evans — Waltz for Debby (1961)
- Tony Bennett — (various recordings)
- Widely recorded — (jazz standard)
Chord Changes
Notation
Harmonic Analysis
My Romance is a 32-bar AABA standard in C major with accessible, song-like harmonic movement. The A sections feature clean ii-V-I progressions in C with diatonic secondary dominants, creating a flowing, symmetrical harmonic rhythm. The bridge briefly tonicizes the subdominant (F major) before the final A resolves home. Its predictable but satisfying harmonic movement and lush melody make it an ideal vehicle for lyrical improvisation and chord melody playing.