Chart keyE-flat major (selected study/play-along setting)
Form32-bar AABA refrain; verse is separate
FeelSwing
Meter4/4
MusicThomas "Fats" Waller, Harry Brooks
Guide coverage11 / 12 sections present
Owner content reviewed — 2026-10-18T01:19:59Z by admin. Coverage measures presence, not accuracy. Content review does not certify rights or musical perfection.
See what is here and what is missing
✓ Recording evidence
✓ Key & form
○ Chart
✓ History
✓ Playing notes
✓ Practice plan
✓ Backing track
✓ Django recording
✓ Django solo study aid
✓ Illustration
✓ Sources
✓ Difficulty
Django's Recordings
Django recordings for this tune. Uploader dates and take labels remain source claims; only an evidenced exact association enables a row’s Listen control.
1 historical recording entries · source text preserved
Entry
Year
Recording / session / release evidence
Listen
01
1937
Ain't Misbehavin', 22/4/37, OLA 1708-1 ,"Fremeaux FA 305, Affinity AFS 1003, Classics 748, Jazz Archives ZET 752, Jazz Time 790560-2, EMI 780671-2, Mosaic MD6-190(6 CD Set).", - Paris - QHCF -
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A dash means no video has been associated with this exact historical recording. Tune-level listening resources remain available above.
History & Listening
Ain’t Misbehavin’ was part of Hot Chocolates in 1929, with music credited to Fats Waller and Harry Brooks and lyrics by Andy Razaf. Its theatre and vocal roots are useful to instrumentalists: phrase the melody as an intelligible sentence. The inherited Django row is dated 22 April 1937 and retains matrix OLA 1708-1. This guide studies the refrain; it does not silently include the separate introductory verse.
Tune details
Music: Thomas "Fats" Waller, Harry Brooks
Words: Andy Razaf
Source-attributed publication / composition: 1929
Original key: Not established
Study level: Intermediate; melody and chromatic chord connections
Melody & head
Listen for the contrast between a plainly stated melody and the ornamentation in Django’s solo, rather than copying every embellishment into the head.
Confirm the play-along key. A C-major or other transposed arrangement will not fit the selected E-flat track without transposition.
Listen for the contrast between a plainly stated melody and the ornamentation in Django’s solo, rather than copying every embellishment into the head.
Session evidence
Ain't Misbehavin', 22/4/37, OLA 1708-1 ,"Fremeaux FA 305, Affinity AFS 1003, Classics 748, Jazz Archives ZET 752, Jazz Time 790560-2, EMI 780671-2, Mosaic MD6-190(6 CD Set).", - Paris - QHCF -
Begin with the E-flat tonic, then hear passing harmonies as connections between stable destinations. In the bridge, track the local minor color and dominant resolutions one at a time. A generic major scale obscures those changes. Keep melody notes audible above simple chord shells before trying a decorated chord-melody arrangement. Check the video key before playing with the chart.
Chart & Form
Begin with the E-flat tonic, then hear passing harmonies as connections between stable destinations. In the bridge, track the local minor color and dominant resolutions one at a time. A generic major scale obscures those changes. Keep melody notes audible above simple chord shells before trying a decorated chord-melody arrangement.
Existing chart material is retained without transcription changes. Linked teaching editions are external references, not newly licensed charts. Match their key and arrangement to your chosen recording.
Original chart text & notation
[http://www.theguitarguy.com/aintmisb.htm chords and lyrics ]
Swing · 110 BPM · 7m16s · Video available when checked; creator-described attribution.
Creator-described gypsy-jazz play-along. Check the key and full arrangement before joining in; the guide chart may use another key. Tempo is the creator’s stated value.
source-described; accuracy not independently verified
Creator presents a study of Django’s recorded solo. Use it alongside the original recording; exact transcription accuracy has not been independently reviewed.
Use G and D to identify E-flat major color; use D-flat when the harmony calls for E-flat7.
Resolve the third and seventh of each dominant by the smallest available movement.
Pitch choices
Begin with the named chord tones. Add passing notes only after the melody and cadence are secure.
Sing an eight-bar A phrase, then play it with one bass note at each chord change. On a second pass replace two sustained melody notes with gentle rhythmic anticipation. Keep the final phrase recognizably the same.
Comping & voicings
Favor a light, buoyant pulse. Avoid making every chord equally heavy; let the melody’s arrival points guide the dynamic shape.
Voicing note sets
Start with three-note shells under sustained melody notes; add the sixth or ninth only when it does not clash with the melody.
Keep the accompaniment clear
First establish an even pulse; add rhythmic variation only when the melody leaves space.
Confirm the play-along key. A C-major or other transposed arrangement will not fit the selected E-flat track without transposition.
Practice room
Begin at 75–95 bpm; maintain a light swing pulse
Your assignment
Sing an eight-bar A phrase, then play it with one bass note at each chord change. On a second pass replace two sustained melody notes with gentle rhythmic anticipation. Keep the final phrase recognizably the same.
Loop these changes
Sing an eight-bar A phrase, then play it with one bass note at each chord change.
Metronome
Count quarter notes first. Then place the click on beats 2 and 4 at half the click rate, keeping the phrase length unchanged.
Transposition
Move one short cadence to a nearby key by naming its chord tones, then return to the chosen study key.
At the session
E-flat major (selected study/play-along setting); 32-bar AABA refrain; verse is separate. Agree the arrangement, pickup and ending before counting in.
Start together
Count a clear tempo and use the final cadence of the agreed arrangement.
Finish together
Cue the final tonic together; agree any tag before starting.
Confirm the play-along key. A C-major or other transposed arrangement will not fit the selected E-flat track without transposition.
Confirm the play-along key. A C-major or other transposed arrangement will not fit the selected E-flat track without transposition.
Arranging the tune
Solo guitar
Keep the melody uppermost and begin with a single bass note under each harmony. Start with three-note shells under sustained melody notes; add the sixth or ninth only when it does not clash with the melody.
Trio or larger group
Favor a light, buoyant pulse. Avoid making every chord equally heavy; let the melody’s arrival points guide the dynamic shape.
Vocal considerations
Choose a comfortable singing key and transpose the accompaniment as a whole; lyrics are not reproduced here.
This player guide combines inherited recording evidence and editorial study notes. Musical study notes are editorial suggestions; compare them with the recording.
Original Djangopedia illustration · AI-assisted, 2026
Original AI-assisted editorial artwork inspired by the tune’s mood. It does not depict a documented historical event.
Generated with the native image-generation tool on 2026-10-17; original editorial artwork, not a historical photograph.
Prompt: Create one original Djangopedia tune-guide editorial illustration. Landscape 3:2, 1536x1024. Broad mid-century jazz record sleeve and Art Deco graphic traditions: bold confident outlines, flat geometric shapes, subtle vintage paper print texture, sophisticated playful composition. No imitation of a specific artist, no lettering, no logo, no watermark, no photorealism. Keep important subjects within central 80% for responsive cropping. Fictional atmospheric interpretation, not a documented historical event. A relaxed elegantly dressed person sitting contentedly at home beside a record player and guitar, slippers, a sleeping cat, a sunny geometric window. Warm coral, cream, olive, charcoal. Gentle humor, no text.
Research & rights notes
No readable owned chord chart is present; use the linked teaching reference.
Original published key has not been established in this preparation.
Ain't Misbehavin' (Eb) - Gypsy Slow || BACKING TRACKJGC Play-AlongsSwing · 110 BPM · 7m16s · Video available when checked; creator-described attribution.Creator-described gypsy-jazz play-along. Check the key and full arrangement before joining in; the guide chart may use another key. Tempo is the creator’s stated value.✓ Featured
Ain't misbehavin : play-back n°034a (Nuages de Swing 100 years Django 100 new play-a-long)Laurent Courtois et Nuages de Swing3m20s · Video available when checked; creator-described attribution.Creator-described gypsy-jazz play-along. Check the key and full arrangement before joining in; the guide chart may use another key.Select video![Video thumbnail: Frank Sanso and Tico Rosenberg "Ain't Misbehavin "[Fats Waller]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vxoDCkMmA3s/hqdefault.jpg)
Frank Sanso and Tico Rosenberg "Ain't Misbehavin "[Fats Waller]Frank SansoVideo available when checked; creator-described attribution.Performer attribution follows the video title and channel description. Proposed listening selection; no popularity ranking implied.✓ Featured
"Ain't Misbehavin'" ~ Hot Club of Davenport @ Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival ~ July 2010tdub1941Video available when checked; creator-described attribution.Performer attribution follows the video title and channel description. Proposed listening selection; no popularity ranking implied.Select video