At sundown – Free Jazz Lead Sheet
F Major – Walter Donaldson 1927
At Sundown (1927) by Walter Donaldson is a romantic jazz standard. View this free online lead sheet in F major, including melody and chords for jazz performance.
About this song:
At Sundown (1927) by Walter Donaldson is a romantic jazz standard from the Tin Pan Alley era. The song became popular during the late 1920s and was widely recorded by dance orchestras and early jazz vocalists. Its smooth harmonic movement and nostalgic melodic contour make it suitable for swing ballads and instrumental jazz arrangements.
This free online lead sheet presents the melody and chord progression in F major for jazz musicians, vocalists, and ensemble performers. It is ideal for studying lyrical phrasing, swing interpretation, and improvisational embellishment.
About the Composer: Walter Donaldson
Walter Donaldson (1893–1947) was a prolific American songwriter from the Tin Pan Alley tradition. He composed many popular standards during the 1920s and 1930s, contributing to Broadway, film, and dance band repertoire. Donaldson specialized in melodic songwriting with clear harmonic structures that made his music highly adaptable to jazz interpretation. Many of his compositions became widely recorded by big band orchestras and vocal jazz artists. His work helped define the sound of American popular music during the early swing era.
Musical Structure and Form
Typically performed in 32-bar AABA form in F major, the song features smooth harmonic progressions, a lyrical melodic line, and moderate tempo interpretations that support jazz improvisation and expressive performance.
