“Misty” is pianist Erroll Garner’s most famous composition, written in 1954, with lyrics added later by Johnny Burke. Johnny Mathis and Sarah Vaughan made it a hit, and it’s become one of the most requested ballads at any gig. If you play in a lounge, a wedding band or a jazz combo, you need this tune under your fingers.
The form is a standard 32-bar AABA, usually in Eb major. The A section starts on Ebmaj7, then moves through a ii-V to the IV chord (Bbm7, Eb7, Abmaj7), followed by a minor iv chord (Abm7 to Db7) that gives the tune its signature bittersweet sound. The bar ends with a turnaround back to Eb. The bridge heads toward Ab and then Gb-flavored territory before a ii-V brings you back home for the last A.
Improvising over “Misty” is all about taste. It’s a ballad, so fewer notes and more space. Over the Abm7 to Db7 move, try using the Db Lydian dominant sound or simply lean on the Cb (the flat third of Abm7) to highlight that darker color. Over the bridge, outline each chord with arpeggios instead of running scales. A great exercise: play the melody, then “decorate” it with neighbor tones and small rhythmic shifts. That’s how Garner approached it, and it keeps you singing instead of running patterns.
A quick note for singers and accompanists: “Misty” is often called in different keys on gigs, so practice the turnaround at the end of each A section in two or three keys until it’s automatic.
Practice it slowly at around 60 BPM. Learn the melody first, sing it, then play it in two keys (Eb and C are common for vocalists). Work on two-handed voicings if you’re a pianist, or chord-tone arpeggios if you’re a horn player. Listen to Garner’s own trio recordings to hear how he phrases behind the beat. Learn more about him on Erroll Garner’s Wikipedia page, and check out more ballad breakdowns on Minedit.