ii–V–I chord progression
The jazz cadence. In C major it's Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Cmaj7. Press play, then pick any key from the menu.
In C major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- ii7Dm7
- V7G7
- Imaj7Cmaj7
- Imaj7Cmaj7
Why it works
Each chord's root falls a fifth to the next: Dm7 to G7 to Cmaj7. Falling fifths are the strongest root motion there is, and seventh chords make every step lean harder into the next. The ii sets up the V, the V's tritone (the unstable interval inside every dominant seventh) resolves by half steps into the I. Jazz tunes are largely built from chains of ii–V–Is moving through different keys, so learning to hear this one in every key is the single most useful ear-training exercise for jazz.
How it feels: smooth, resolved, jazzy.
Inside ii–V–I
Play just the bass notes and you hear the shape of it: D – G – C – C. The smoothest way through it on piano:
- ii7 → V7: Dm7 to G7: play G7 in 2nd inversion (D–F–G–B) and D and F stay under the same fingers, while A moves down to G and C down to B.
- V7 → Imaj7: G7 to Cmaj7: play Cmaj7 in 2nd inversion (G–B–C–E) and G and B stay under the same fingers, while D moves down to C and F down to E.
- Imaj7 → ii7 (back to the top): Cmaj7 to Dm7: play Dm7 in 3rd inversion (C–D–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E moves down to D, G down to F and B down to A.
ii–V–I in all 12 keys
The numerals never change; only the chord names do. Tap Play on any row, or open the key for its other chords.
| Key | Chords | |
|---|---|---|
| C major | Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Cmaj7 | |
| G major | Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 – Gmaj7 | |
| D major | Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7 – Dmaj7 | |
| A major | Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7 – Amaj7 | |
| E major | F♯m7 – B7 – Emaj7 – Emaj7 | |
| B major | C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7 – Bmaj7 | |
| F♯ major | G♯m7 – C♯7 – F♯maj7 – F♯maj7 | |
| D♭ major | E♭m7 – A♭7 – D♭maj7 – D♭maj7 | |
| A♭ major | B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7 – A♭maj7 | |
| E♭ major | Fm7 – B♭7 – E♭maj7 – E♭maj7 | |
| B♭ major | Cm7 – F7 – B♭maj7 – B♭maj7 | |
| F major | Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7 – Fmaj7 |
On guitar
The friendliest keys for ii–V–I on guitar are G major and C major, where every chord is an open shape.
G major: Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 – Gmaj7
C major: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Cmaj7
Somewhere else? A capo moves these shapes up: capo 2 turns G major shapes into the key a whole step higher. Capo chart.
Ways to vary it
- In a minor key it becomes iiø7–V7–i: a half-diminished ii and a minor home chord.
- Add the ninth to each chord (Dm9–G13–Cmaj9 in C) for a smoother, more modern sound.
- Replace the V7 with a dominant a half step above the I (a tritone substitution) for a chromatic bass line.
Related progressions
Build your own progression and share it as a link
ii–V–I: questions
What is the ii–V–I chord progression?
The jazz cadence: the chords on degrees 2, 5, 1, 1 of a major key. In C major that's Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Cmaj7.
Why does ii–V–I sound good?
Each chord's root falls a fifth to the next: Dm7 to G7 to Cmaj7. Falling fifths are the strongest root motion there is, and seventh chords make every step lean harder into the next.
How do I play ii–V–I in G?
Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 – Gmaj7. Every one of those has an open shape on guitar.
How do I change ii–V–I to another key?
Keep the numerals and swap the key: the numbers say which note of the scale each chord is built on. Use the key menu in the player above, or the table of all 12 keys on this page.
What else is ii–V–I called?
"2 5 1". Musicians also call it the jazz cadence.
Chords in every key are generated from the scale and checked by the site's theory tests. We describe progressions in general terms and don't transcribe songs. Updated September 2026.