Progressions
Ii–V–I Chord Progression in C
Dm · G · C
The ii–V–I — the single most important progression in jazz, and the cadence most standards are assembled from.
Ii–V–I Chord Progression in C
Dm · G · C
- Key
- C
- Roman numerals
- ii–V–I
- Notes
- 7
The chords
Songs that use it
Autumn Leaves
Joseph Kosma
All the Things You Are
Jerome Kern
Satin Doll
Duke Ellington
Tune Up
Miles Davis
Understanding C ii–V–I
Why it works
In C the progression is Dm · G · C. The roots fall by perfect fifths, which is the strongest root motion in tonal harmony, and the voice leading between the chords is almost entirely by step or common tone.
The key move is the seventh of the ii falling a semitone to become the third of the V, and the seventh of the V falling a semitone to become the third of the I. Two voices move, everything else holds, and the resolution feels inevitable.
How to use it
Standards are largely built by chaining these together, often modulating through several keys in a single chorus. Learning to recognise ii–V–I in every key is the standard route into playing jazz at all.
In a minor key the ii becomes half-diminished and the V takes a flattened ninth. The substitution most worth knowing is the tritone: replacing the V with the dominant a tritone away gives a chromatically descending bass while keeping the same tritone resolution.
Learn this properly
Chapter 11: Diatonic HarmonyCommon questions
- What chords are in the ii–V–I progression in C?
- In C the progression is Dm · G · C. Move it to any key with the chord transposer.
- Why is the ii–V–I so common in jazz?
- Its roots fall by fifths, the strongest root motion available, and its voice leading resolves two tritone voices by semitone while the rest hold. It is the most efficient way to establish a key.
- What is a minor ii–V–i?
- The same shape with a half-diminished ii and an altered or ♭9 dominant, resolving to a minor tonic.