Chords + Lyrics | My Funny Valentine
Verse 1
| Cm | Cmmaj7 | Cm7 | Cm6 |
My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine.
| Abmaj7 | Fm7 | Dm7b5 | G7b9 |
You make me smile with my heart.
Verse 2
| Cm | Cmmaj7 | Cm7 | Cm6 |
Your looks are laughable, un-photographable.
| Abmaj7 | Fm7 | Abm6 | Bb7b9 |
Yet, you’re my favorite work of art.
Bridge 1
| Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Gm7 Fm7 |
Is your figure less than Greek?
| Ebmaj7 Fm7 | Gm7 Fm7 |
Is your mouth a little weak?
| Ebmaj7 G7 | Cm Bbm7 A7 | Abmaj7 | Dm7b5 G7b9 |
When you open it to speak, are you smart?
Verse 3
| Cm | Cmmaj7 | Cm7 | Cm6 |
But don’t change your hair for me, not if you care for me.
| Abmaj7 | Dm7b5 G7b9 | Cm | Bbm7 A7b5 |
Stay little valentine, stay.
| Abmaj7 | Fm7 Bb7b9 | Eb6 | (Dm7b5 G7b9) |
Each day is Valentine’s Day.
My Funny Valentine Chords: Master the Signature Changes
Chet Baker didn’t write My Funny Valentine; it was composed by Rodgers and Hart in 1937 for the musical Babes in Arms.
However, Chet’s version is the one most of us are familiar with. Since his arrangement is primarily driven by bass, and since the version most musicians refer to is the one in the Real Book, let’s focus on that version.
At the bottom of the page in the Real Book, you’ll notice a reference to Miles Davis’s live version (which is included in the playlist above), but honestly, that doesn’t make much sense to me…
In any case, let’s stick with the Real Book chords, as that’s the version everyone recognises. We’ll also create a one-guitar arrangement so you can play it with a singer or soloist (use a loop pedal and that soloist could be you).
Verse 1
Verse 1 is 8 bars long and begins with the descending chromatic Cm extensions, which have become synonymous with this tune:
| Cm (VI) | Cmmaj7 | Cm7 | Cm6 |
| Abmaj7 (IV) | Fm7 (II) | Dm7b5 (VII) | G7b9 (IIIx) |
After the signature opening progression of Cm (chord VI), we move to Abmaj7 (IV), Fm7 (II), and then play a so-called minor II – V progression, which is VII – IIIx in the key of Cm/Eb.
This means that we are diatonic to Cm in verse 1, apart from the chromatic descending notes over Cm.
I’ve created a TAB for how you can play this with a singer, making it easy for them to follow. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can begin to stretch and vary the arrangement.
Here’s the link to the TAB lesson: My Funny Valentine – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
In this lesson, let’s focus on My Funny Valentine’s chords. Compare the first four bars with those of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, All In Love Is Fair, and Angel Eyes. While they’re not exactly the same, they belong to a similar harmonic universe.
Verse 2
Verse 2 starts in the same way, but here’s an important distinction: the melody now begins on the 3rd, not the root. This subtle shift is one of the greatest lessons from My Funny Valentine—it draws the listener in and creates a more captivating experience.
Now, let’s look at the chords for the second line:
| Abmaj7 (IV) | Fm7 (II) | Abm6 (IVm) | Bb7b9 (V) |
The last two chords change, setting us up for the bridge. Abm6 is chord IVm, and Bb7b9 is chord V—though the b9 is outside of the key. If you’re soloing, try playing an Abdim7 arpeggio over this chord!
There’s TAB (link above) for how to play this second verse using a different approach from verse 1. By learning both approaches, you’ll soon be able to blend and develop the concepts.
Bridge
The bridge shifts away from Cm and into the relative major key of Eb. This is similar to how Summertime moves between minor and major.
First, we ascend the scale and then descend using the progression I – II – III – II, like this:
||: Ebmaj7 (I) Fm7 (II) | Gm7 (III) Fm7 (II) :||
By using two chords per bar instead of one, we naturally pick up the pace. Combine this with the shift to a major key, and the change in feel becomes dramatic.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t feel awkward or jarring because we haven’t changed the key—just moved to a different tonal centre. Cm and Eb share the same chords, so the transition feels natural.
The final line of the bridge is I – IIIx7 – VI, or Ebmaj7 – G7 – Cm. This sets up the next verse, although there are a few more bars to complete it:
| Ebmaj7 (I) G7 (IIIx) | Cm (VI) Bbm7 (Vm) A7 (#IV) |
| Abmaj7 (IV) | Dm7b5 (VII) G7b9 (IIIx) |
The second half of bar two is a II – V of Ab, although the A7 is a tritone substitution. This brings us to Abmaj7 (IV). Finally, we have another minor II – V, or VII – IIIx, Dm7b5 – G7b9, which takes us back to Cm for the final verse.
There’s TAB available to show how to play the bridge in a way that will be easy to sing and solo over as well.
Verse 3
Verse 3 is similar to previous verses, but not the same. We start with Cm, but then things change:
| Cm (VI) | Cmmaj7 | Cm7 | Cm6 |
| Abmaj7 (IV) | Dm7b5 (VII) G7b9 (IIIx) | Cm (VI) | Bbm7 (Vm) A7b5 (#IV) |
| Abmaj7 (IV) | Fm7 (II) Bb7b9 (V) | Eb6 (I) | Dm7b5 (VII) G7b9 (IIIx) |
Line 2 goes to the minor II – V, back to Cm, and then we get another II – V with a tritone substitution, as we had in the bridge. However, here we also get an altered chord, dom7b5: Bbm7 – A7b5.
The final line follows the IV – II – V – I progression. The Bb7b9 is not diatonic, but it works well. Finish on an Eb6.
Should you want to solo, use a minor II – V (Dm7b5 – G7b9) to start over again from the top.
Having studied my TAB and played along with the “original” recordings, this chord chart is all you’ll need to play My Funny Valentine’s chords.
My Funny Valentine Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: My Funny Valentine chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: My Funny Valentine iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
My Funny Valentine TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you’ll get several TAB examples to guide you through the chord shapes and movement in My Funny Valentine.
As a preview, here’s one way to approach the verse:
The legacy as a jazz standard is immense
Perhaps the ultimate jazz standard, My Funny Valentine has appeared on over 1300 albums, recorded by more than 600 artists, and has been played by countless jazz musicians throughout the years.
While listing all 600 artists is impossible here, I’ve included six noteworthy performances in the playlist above, in addition to Chet Baker. These include Sting, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Chaka Khan, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, and my personal favourite, YouTube saxophone virtuoso Chad LB.
If you want to delve deeper into jazz and improve your instrument skills, study how these artists interpret the melody of My Funny Valentine. Pay attention to their variations in the chord progression, and try transcribing their solos.
But before diving into these complex interpretations, start by learning the classic version using the chords and lyrics above, as this is what you’ll find in the Real Book — the standard reference for jazz musicians.
For an added challenge, try taking it around the twelve keys. That should keep you busy for a couple of weeks!
My Funny Valentine Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: My Funny Valentine (the Real Book) Guitar Lesson with TAB and chord analysis.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: