Yesterdays — Chord Changes & Harmonic Analysis
- Composer:
- Jerome Kern
- Year:
- 1933
- Key:
- D minor
- Form:
- AABA (32 bars)
- Style:
- Jazz Standard
- Tempo:
- 100–140 BPM
A wistful minor ballad from the musical "Roberta". Jerome Kern's composition features sophisticated harmonic movement and a melancholic quality that has made it a favorite among jazz musicians for reflective interpretations.
About This Standard
Composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Otto Harbach for the 1933 Broadway musical Roberta, Yesterdays is one of Kern's most harmonically sophisticated compositions. Its unusual ABAC form in D minor — featuring an extended verse section and a densely chromatic harmonic progression unusual for 1933 — attracted jazz musicians who appreciated its harmonic depth.
Notable recordings:
- Irene Dunne — (1935 film version of Roberta)
- Charlie Parker — (various recordings)
- Bill Evans — (various recordings)
- Widely recorded — (jazz standard)
Chord Changes
Notation
Harmonic Analysis
Yesterdays is a 32-bar ABAC standard in D minor with a chromatic, harmonically rich A section. The opening phrase descends through chromatic voice leading — Dm→A7/C#→A7/C→A7b9 — creating a dramatic, falling harmonic motion. The tune moves through minor ii-V-i progressions (Em7b5→A7→Dm) with chromatic approach chords. The C section provides harmonic contrast and a satisfying final resolution. Kern's 1933 harmonic language — anticipating some bebop harmonic ideas — has made Yesterdays feel perennially modern.