L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole
Piano chords, voicings & structure breakdown · 59 steps · 29 unique chords
Community chart. These chords come from a chart a musician wrote and shared on the iReal Pro forums, not from a transcription checked against the recording. Charts are sometimes written in a different key or simplified, and no second chart of this song agreed closely enough to mark this page verified. Trust your ears.
Intro (×2)Step 1 of 59
A♭
Left hand Right hand Middle C (C4)
No source cited for this step
Harmonic Analysis & Structure
Overview
Key: A♭ major · Chords used: 29 · Sections: 4
Form: Intro → A Section → B Section → B Section
Where these chords come from: a chord chart of this song written by a musician and shared on the iReal Pro forums, archived in the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). It's one musician's reading of the song, not a transcription checked against the recording. This page shows that chart as-is: the analysis below is generated directly from it by code, not written by AI. Consecutive repeats of a chord are shown once, and the piano voicings are our playable arrangement of each chord symbol, not a note-for-note transcription.
Section by section
Intro
- A♭ – A♭6 – A♭maj7 – A♭6 (×2)
I – I6 – Imaj7 – I6
A Section
- A♭ – A♭6 – A♭maj7 – A♭6
I – I6 – Imaj7 – I6 - E♭7 – E♭9 – E♭13 – E♭9 (×2)
V7 – V9 – V13 – V9 - A♭ – A♭6 – A♭maj7 – A♭6 – A♭7 – A♭9 – A♭13 – A♭9 – C♯ – C♯6 – C♯maj7 – C♯6 – B♭7 – B♭9 – B♭13 – B♭9 – E♭7
I – I6 – Imaj7 – I6 – I7 – I9 – I13 – I9 – #III – #III6 – #IIImaj7 – #III6 – II7 – II9 – II13 – II9 – V7
B Section 1
- A♭ – A♭6 – A♭maj7 – A♭6
I – I6 – Imaj7 – I6 - E♭7 – E♭9 – E♭13 – E♭9 (×2)
V7 – V9 – V13 – V9 - C♯7 – C♯9 – Ddim – A♭ – E♭7 – A♭ – F7
#III7 – #III9 – #iv° – I – V7 – I – VI7
B Section 2
- A – A6 – Amaj7 – A6
#I – #I6 – #Imaj7 – #I6 - E7 – E9 – E13 – E9 (×2)
#V7 – #V9 – #V13 – #V9 - D7 – D9 – C♯dim7 – A – E7 – A – F♯7
#IV7 – #IV9 – #iii°7 – #I – #V7 – #I – #VI7
Chord vocabulary
| Chord | Roman numeral | Role | Heard in |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | I | Home chord (tonic) | Intro, A Section, B Section |
| A♭6 | I6 | Home chord (tonic) | Intro, A Section, B Section |
| A♭maj7 | Imaj7 | Home chord (tonic) | Intro, A Section, B Section |
| E♭7 | V7 | In the key | A Section, B Section |
| E♭9 | V9 | In the key | A Section, B Section |
| E♭13 | V13 | In the key | A Section, B Section |
| A♭7 | I7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | A Section |
| A♭9 | I9 | Secondary dominant (V/#III) | A Section |
| A♭13 | I13 | Outside the key (chromatic) | A Section |
| C♯ | #III | In the key | A Section |
| C♯6 | #III6 | In the key | A Section |
| C♯maj7 | #IIImaj7 | In the key | A Section |
| B♭7 | II7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | A Section |
| B♭9 | II9 | Secondary dominant (V/V) | A Section |
| B♭13 | II13 | Outside the key (chromatic) | A Section |
| C♯7 | #III7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| C♯9 | #III9 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| Ddim | #iv° | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| F7 | VI7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| A | #I | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| A6 | #I6 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| Amaj7 | #Imaj7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| E7 | #V7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| E9 | #V9 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| E13 | #V13 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| D7 | #IV7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| D9 | #IV9 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| C♯dim7 | #iii°7 | Outside the key (chromatic) | B Section |
| F♯7 | #VI7 | Borrowed from A♭ minor | B Section |
Harmonic highlights
- F♯7 (#VI7) is borrowed from the parallel key, A♭ minor.
- A♭9 acts as V/#III: it resolves to C♯.
- B♭9 acts as V/V: it resolves to E♭7.
Sources & accuracy
- Chords: the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). Community chord chart “L-O-V-E” (credited “Nat King Cole”, style Slow Swing) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata.
- Section names: from the chart's own markings: section names written on the chart (Intro, Verse, Chorus…) are kept, and rehearsal letters are shown as “A Section”, “B Section” and so on (the B of an AABA song is called the Bridge).
- Chord charts are often written in a key that suits a particular singer or band, so this may not be the key of the original recording.
- About the song: Wikipedia.
- Not verified: other charts of this song differ in places from this one, so this page isn't marked verified.
- Rhythm and chord durations aren't shown; each step is one chord change.
Sources & Accuracy
Every chord on this page comes from the community chart listed first below. Piano voicings are our arrangement of the reported chord symbols, not a note-for-note transcription.
Chords from a chart a musician wrote and shared on the iReal Pro forums (archived in the ChoCo research dataset); may be in a different key from the recording, and not checked against it.
Community chord chart “L-O-V-E” (credited “Nat King Cole”, style Slow Swing) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer/songwriter confirmed from Wikidata.
All Piano Voicings
| # | Section | Chord | Left hand | Right hand | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intro (×2) | A♭ | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, A♭4 | — |
| 2 | Intro (×2) | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 3 | Intro (×2) | A♭maj7 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, G4 | — |
| 4 | Intro (×2) | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 5 | A Section, part 1 | A♭ | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, A♭4 | — |
| 6 | A Section, part 1 | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 7 | A Section, part 1 | A♭maj7 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, G4 | — |
| 8 | A Section, part 1 | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 9 | A Section, part 2 (×2) | E♭7 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, G4 | — |
| 10 | A Section, part 2 (×2) | E♭9 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, F4, G4 | — |
| 11 | A Section, part 2 (×2) | E♭13 | E♭2, B♭2 | C4, D♭4, F4, G4 | — |
| 12 | A Section, part 2 (×2) | E♭9 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, F4, G4 | — |
| 13 | A Section, part 3 | A♭ | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, A♭4 | — |
| 14 | A Section, part 3 | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 15 | A Section, part 3 | A♭maj7 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, G4 | — |
| 16 | A Section, part 3 | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 17 | A Section, part 3 | A♭7 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, G♭4 | — |
| 18 | A Section, part 3 | A♭9 | A♭2, E♭3 | B♭3, C4, E♭4, G♭4 | — |
| 19 | A Section, part 3 | A♭13 | A♭2, E♭3 | B♭3, C4, F4, G♭4 | — |
| 20 | A Section, part 3 | A♭9 | A♭2, E♭3 | B♭3, C4, E♭4, G♭4 | — |
| 21 | A Section, part 3 | C♯ | C♯2, G♯2 | G♯3, C♯4, E♯4 | — |
| 22 | A Section, part 3 | C♯6 | C♯2, G♯2 | G♯3, A♯3, E♯4 | — |
| 23 | A Section, part 3 | C♯maj7 | C♯2, G♯2 | G♯3, B♯3, E♯4 | — |
| 24 | A Section, part 3 | C♯6 | C♯2, G♯2 | G♯3, A♯3, E♯4 | — |
| 25 | A Section, part 3 | B♭7 | B♭2, F3 | A♭3, D4, F4 | — |
| 26 | A Section, part 3 | B♭9 | B♭2, F3 | A♭3, C4, D4, F4 | — |
| 27 | A Section, part 3 | B♭13 | B♭2, F3 | A♭3, C4, D4, G4 | — |
| 28 | A Section, part 3 | B♭9 | B♭2, F3 | A♭3, C4, D4, F4 | — |
| 29 | A Section, part 3 | E♭7 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, G4 | — |
| 30 | B Section 1, part 1 | A♭ | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, A♭4 | — |
| 31 | B Section 1, part 1 | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 32 | B Section 1, part 1 | A♭maj7 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, G4 | — |
| 33 | B Section 1, part 1 | A♭6 | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, F4 | — |
| 34 | B Section 1, part 2 (×2) | E♭7 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, G4 | — |
| 35 | B Section 1, part 2 (×2) | E♭9 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, F4, G4 | — |
| 36 | B Section 1, part 2 (×2) | E♭13 | E♭2, B♭2 | C4, D♭4, F4, G4 | — |
| 37 | B Section 1, part 2 (×2) | E♭9 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, F4, G4 | — |
| 38 | B Section 1, part 3 | C♯7 | C♯2, G♯2 | B3, E♯4, G♯4 | — |
| 39 | B Section 1, part 3 | C♯9 | C♯2, G♯2 | B3, D♯4, E♯4, G♯4 | — |
| 40 | B Section 1, part 3 | Ddim | D2, D3 | D4, F4, A♭4 | — |
| 41 | B Section 1, part 3 | A♭ | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, A♭4 | — |
| 42 | B Section 1, part 3 | E♭7 | E♭2, B♭2 | B♭3, D♭4, G4 | — |
| 43 | B Section 1, part 3 | A♭ | A♭2, E♭3 | C4, E♭4, A♭4 | — |
| 44 | B Section 1, part 3 | F7 | F2, C3 | C4, E♭4, A4 | — |
| 45 | B Section 2, part 1 | A | A2, E3 | C♯4, E4, A4 | — |
| 46 | B Section 2, part 1 | A6 | A2, E3 | C♯4, E4, F♯4 | — |
| 47 | B Section 2, part 1 | Amaj7 | A2, E3 | C♯4, E4, G♯4 | — |
| 48 | B Section 2, part 1 | A6 | A2, E3 | C♯4, E4, F♯4 | — |
| 49 | B Section 2, part 2 (×2) | E7 | E2, B2 | B3, D4, G♯4 | — |
| 50 | B Section 2, part 2 (×2) | E9 | E2, B2 | B3, D4, F♯4, G♯4 | — |
| 51 | B Section 2, part 2 (×2) | E13 | E2, B2 | C♯4, D4, F♯4, G♯4 | — |
| 52 | B Section 2, part 2 (×2) | E9 | E2, B2 | B3, D4, F♯4, G♯4 | — |
| 53 | B Section 2, part 3 | D7 | D2, A2 | C4, F♯4, A4 | — |
| 54 | B Section 2, part 3 | D9 | D2, A2 | C4, E4, F♯4, A4 | — |
| 55 | B Section 2, part 3 | C♯dim7 | C♯2, C♯3 | B♭3, E4, G4 | — |
| 56 | B Section 2, part 3 | A | A2, E3 | C♯4, E4, A4 | — |
| 57 | B Section 2, part 3 | E7 | E2, B2 | B3, D4, G♯4 | — |
| 58 | B Section 2, part 3 | A | A2, E3 | C♯4, E4, A4 | — |
| 59 | B Section 2, part 3 | F♯7 | F♯2, C♯3 | C♯4, E4, A♯4 | — |