How to practice Washington & Lee Swing with play-along tracks?

Use the play-along backing track above to practice Washington & Lee Swing in the key of B. Listen to the audio with bass, piano, and drums, start by playing the melody, then practice improvisation and soloing over the chord changes.

What scales to use for soloing over Washington & Lee Swing?

For soloing over Washington & Lee Swing, recommended scales include: bebop, bebop major. Use arpeggio patterns over each chord to create melodic lines that follow the harmony of this jazz tune.

Who composed Washington & Lee Swing?

Washington & Lee Swing was composed by Mark W. Sheafe / Thornton W. Allen / Clarence A. (Tod) Robbins in 1910. It is a swing standard in 2/2 time. The original key is Bb; this page shows it transposed to B.

What key is Washington & Lee Swing in?

The original key of Washington & Lee Swing is Bb. The form is A with 33 bars. This page shows the chart transposed to B.

What scales work for improvising over Washington & Lee Swing?

Recommended scales for Washington & Lee Swing in B: bebop, bebop major. Scales and arpeggios update in real-time as each chord plays, with context-aware analysis (e.g., Phrygian Dominant over secondary dominants).

How does the interactive backing track work?

The backing track plays with realistic walking bass, drum patterns, and voice-led chord voicings. Scales and arpeggios update in real-time as each chord plays. You can limit the fretboard zone for close-proximity voicings, toggle a reference melody, loop any section, and choose between multiple sound presets. Works for guitar, piano, bass, ukulele, and 7 more instruments.

Can I edit the chord chart?

Yes. You can modify the structure, chords, and arrangement of any standard to match your preferred version or create your own reharmonization.

Washington & Lee Swing in B

Mark W. Sheafe / Thornton W. Allen / Clarence A. (Tod) Robbins(1910)swing

Do Re MiC D E

Section A

♬

BPM: 120

Chord Diagrams — Washington & Lee Swing in B (Guitar)

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FingerNoteDegree

Chord Voicings Closest Voicing

Washington & Lee Swing in B

Key of B

B major mixes barre and open elements. The B chord itself is a barre at fret 2, but E and A are comfortable open chords forming the IV and V. The open B string rings as the root, allowing creative drone-based arrangements. B is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open B string rings as the root and the open E strings provide the 4th — useful for sus4 voicings and drone effects. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through B to F# (descending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to E (ascending unison), E to F (ascending half step), F to G# (ascending minor third), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from C# to B by whole step.

Scales for Improvisation

B major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, B Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.

swing2/2 · 33 bars · Form: A

Chords: B, F♯7, B7, E6, E, Fdim, G♯7, C♯m7.

Scales for Improvisation B bebop, B bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of B