MelodyMake

Jazz chord progressions

Tap a progression to hear the seventh chords loop. Change the key to practise in all twelve.

Minor progressions use F minor; major ones use F major.

  1. Major ii–V–I

    ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – Imaj7

    Gm7C7Fmaj7Fmaj7

    The cornerstone of jazz. Roots fall by fifths: D–G–C in C major.

  2. Minor ii–V–i

    iiø7 – V7 – i7 – i7

    Gm7♭5C7Fm7Fm7

    Half-diminished ii and dominant V leading to a minor tonic, as in “Autumn Leaves” and “Blue Bossa”.

  3. I–vi–ii–V turnaround

    Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7

    Fmaj7Dm7Gm7C7

    The loop behind rhythm changes and countless song endings. Each chord sets up the next by a fifth.

  4. iii–vi–ii–V

    iii7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7

    Am7Dm7Gm7C7

    A longer chain of fifths that starts away from home and spirals back to I.

  5. Tritone substitution

    ii7 – ♭II7 – Imaj7 – Imaj7

    Gm7G♭7Fmaj7Fmaj7

    The V7 is replaced by the dominant a tritone away. The bass slides down by half steps: D–D♭–C.

  6. Backdoor ii–V

    iv7 – ♭VII7 – Imaj7 – Imaj7

    B♭m7E♭7Fmaj7Fmaj7

    Approaches I from a whole step below instead of from V. Softer, with a borrowed-minor colour.

  7. 12-bar jazz blues

    I7 – IV7 – I7 – I7 – IV7 – IV7 – I7 – VI7 – ii7 – V7 – I7 – V7

    F7B♭7F7F7B♭7B♭7F7D7Gm7C7F7C7

    The blues form with jazz moves: a VI7 in bar 8 and a ii–V in bars 9–10.

Want your own? Loop, randomise and export any of these in the chord progression generator.

Why these progressions work

Jazz harmony is built on seventh chords and on root movement by fifths. Once you can hear the ii–V–I, most of the standard repertoire turns into variations of it: turnarounds chain more fifths together, and substitutions swap a chord for another that shares its key notes.

The Roman numerals describe each chord by its position in the key, so the same progression works anywhere: upper case is major, lower case is minor, ° is diminished, ø is half-diminished and ♭ marks a chord borrowed from outside the scale. To see which chords belong to a key, open chords in the key of C or any other key, or spin the circle of fifths.

More progressions

Questions

What is the most common jazz chord progression?

The ii–V–I (in C: Dm7–G7–Cmaj7). Most jazz standards are strings of ii–V–Is in different keys.

Why are jazz chords seventh chords?

Adding the seventh gives every chord a clear function: maj7 sounds settled, m7 is a soft pre-dominant, and the dominant 7 contains a tritone that wants to resolve.

What is a tritone substitution?

Replacing a dominant chord with the dominant chord whose root is a tritone (six half steps) away. Both chords share the same 3rd and 7th, so the substitute resolves the same way.

How do I practise jazz progressions?

Loop a progression slowly, play the roots, then the 3rds and 7ths of each chord (the guide tones), then move it through all 12 keys, ideally around the circle of fifths.