It Don’t Mean a Thing Chords

It Don’t Mean a Thing with chords

The two first verses are played in the same way.

The third verse is played differently.

We will therefore only look at verse 1 and verse 2.

Verse 1 of this Ellington music

Here are the chords you will be using in verses 1 and 2 :

When you master those, you can follow the next framework to play verses 1 and 2 :

Remember that the chords are written above the lyrics so that you can play them at the right time. Therefore, it’s better to play while singing. Chords that are to the right of a phrase (not above a word) are played between the two phrases.

End of Verse 2 of the jazz song

Between verse 2 and verse 3, there is a small change.

In the last phrase of verse two, you don’t have to play the D7 :

Verse 3 of It Don’t Mean a Thing

To play the chorus, you need to know any four new chords :

Than, you can continue by following this tab :

It Don’t Mean a Thing video with tab

You can play other Jazz guitar tab like the famous song by Bobby Hebb Sunny.

It Don’t Mean a Thing lyrics

Find all our tab, chords and guitar lessons on Decibel Score.

It Don’t Mean a Thing history

It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing) is a jazz standard composed in 1932 by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. Ellington would be the first to record it with his big band the same year.

If Ellington’s career is very large and full of hits, It Don’t Mean a Thing is certainly the most famous. Transcending the sphere of jazz, this music will travel around the world and its typical refrain “Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah” will enter all ears.

The song, sung in jazz by Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone or Lady Gaga, played by Louis Armstrong or Sidney Bechet, will reach Paris where it will be played by the greats of Gipsy Jazz such as Django Reinhardt or Angelo Debarre.

Jazz guitar score by Ellington