Chord Progression
The ii–V–I
ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
The single most important cadence in jazz — tension wound tight, then released.
Key
The chords in C Major
3 shapes to learn — tap any diagram to hear it on guitar or piano.
How it works
The backbone of jazz harmony. The ii is a minor 7th, the V a dominant 7th, and the I a major 7th — the three chords whose roots fall a perfect fourth apart each time, the strongest root motion in tonal music.
The whole gesture is about voice leading. The 7th of the ii chord slides down a semitone into the 3rd of the V; the 3rd of the V (the key's leading tone) resolves up into the tonic. Two smooth semitone steps carry you home.
Learn it in all twelve keys and you have the key that unlocks the standard jazz repertoire — most tunes are chains of ii–V–I in shifting keys.
Songs built on it
A few well-known examples — every one of them the same chords, moving in the same order.
- Autumn Leaves— jazz standard
- Fly Me to the Moon— Bart Howard
- Tune Up— Miles Davis
ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 in every key
The same numerals, twelve different sets of letters. Tap a key to explore all its chords.