I Can't Get Started

Harmonic analysis of the jazz standard "I Can't Get Started (With You)" by Vernon Duke.

I Can't Get Started was composed by Vernon Duke in 1936. The original key is C and the song follows a 32-bar AABA form. This is a harmonic analysis of the changes in I Can't Get Started, along with an explanation of the concepts used in the analysis. The image above shows my full analysis, which I will walk through below. You can refer to the conventions page for a deeper exploration of the analytic concepts used and get the PDF for free.

Section A

This song begins with a I --- vi --- ii --- V progression followed by a secondary dominant cycle of fourths progression V7/vi --- vi --- V7/V --- V. This is followed by another I --- vi --- ii --- V followed by another secondary dominant fourths cycle V7/vi --- V7/ii--- V7/V --- V. The repeat is the same with the exemption of the second minor plagal ending of I --- iv --- I.

Section B

Section B modulates a major second up to D at the beginning. In the new key, we have two ii --- V cadences followed by a I --- IV 7--- iii --- ii --- V and a I --- IV7. The final three measures are back in the original key. These measures have ii --- V --- iii --- biii --- ii --- V before going back to the last repeat of A.

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