ii–V–I chord progression: the jazz cadence
ii–V–I (Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 in C) is the core cadence of jazz. Hear it with seventh chords, get it in all 12 keys and learn why it resolves so strongly.
ii–V–I moves from the 2nd to the 5th to the 1st chord of a key, each root a fifth below the last: in C major, Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7. It is the most important progression in jazz, and the strongest way to arrive at a key.
Listen in C major
Or one chord at a time:
What does ii–V–I sound like?
Smooth and inevitable: the minor ii sets up the tense dominant V7, which resolves to the restful I.
Songs that use ii–V–I
| Song | Where |
|---|---|
| Autumn Leaves (jazz standard) | the opening bars: a ii–V–I in the relative major |
| Fly Me to the Moon | inside the chain of fifths in the first phrase |
Titles only. Listed only when the chords of that section are certain; chords as usually written for that section.
How to recognise it by ear
- Follow the bass: it falls by fifths (D → G → C), the strongest root motion.
- Inside, the voices move by tiny steps: the 7th of each chord falls a half step to the 3rd of the next.
- In a minor key it becomes iiø7–V7–i (Bø7 E7 Am).
Quick test: which progression?
Each sound plays the chords one after another. Pick the progression.
Score: / 3 (your score updates as you answer)
ii–V–I in all 12 major keys
Chords built from the Roman numerals ii7 V7 Imaj7 on each key's own scale.
| Key | Chords | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| C major | Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 | |
| G major | Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 | |
| D major | Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7 | |
| A major | Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7 | |
| E major | F♯m7 – B7 – Emaj7 | |
| B major | C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7 | |
| F♯ major | G♯m7 – C♯7 – F♯maj7 | |
| D♭ major | E♭m7 – A♭7 – D♭maj7 | |
| A♭ major | B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7 | |
| E♭ major | Fm7 – B♭7 – E♭maj7 | |
| B♭ major | Cm7 – F7 – B♭maj7 | |
| F major | Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7 |
Frequently asked questions
What are the chords of a ii–V–I in C?
D minor 7, G7 and C major 7 (Dm7 G7 Cmaj7). In F: Gm7 C7 Fmaj7. In B flat: Cm7 F7 B flat maj7.
Why is ii–V–I so important in jazz?
Jazz standards are largely chains of ii–V–I's moving through different keys, so recognising it lets you follow and improvise over most tunes.
What is a minor ii–V–i?
The minor-key version: a half-diminished ii, a dominant V and a minor i. In A minor: Bm7♭5, E7, Am.
Why does V7 resolve to I?
Its third and seventh form a tritone (B and F in G7) that closes in by half steps to the root and third of I (C and E).