Spring Is Here — Chord Changes & Harmonic Analysis
- Composer:
- Richard Rodgers
- Year:
- 1938
- Key:
- Bb major
- Form:
- AABA (32 bars)
- Style:
- Ballad
- Tempo:
- 60–100 BPM
A bittersweet ballad by Rodgers and Hart. Features beautiful chromatic movement and rich harmonic color.
About This Standard
Composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the 1938 Broadway musical I Married an Angel, Spring Is Here is a poignant ballad whose bittersweet lyric — about unrequited love despite the arrival of spring — suits its gentle, flowing harmonic language. It has been recorded by many jazz singers and instrumentalists as a vehicle for lyrical introspection.
Notable recordings:
- Chet Baker — (various recordings)
- Bill Evans — (various recordings)
- Miles Davis — (various recordings)
Chord Changes
Notation
Harmonic Analysis
Spring Is Here is a 32-bar AABA ballad in F major with warm, diatonic harmonic movement. The A sections feature clean ii-V-I progressions in F with secondary dominants adding gentle color — E7 briefly tonicizing Am, A7 briefly tonicizing Dm. The bridge moves to a contrasting tonal area before the final A returns home. The tune's unhurried harmonic rhythm and lyrical quality make it ideal for developing a singing, breath-based approach to jazz improvisation.