Chord & FretJazz · ii-V-I — Electric guitar
What is the Jazz · ii-V-I progression?
The Jazz · ii-V-I progression is Dm → G → C (ii – V – I), in the key of C. Read as harmonic function it moves subdominant → dominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Four chords, a whole story: Dm (ii, the stroll) → G (V, time to come back) → C (I, home). Hit play. First pass, just listen. Second pass, follow with your finger on the names — and notice that by the second-to-last chord, your body already knows C — home — is coming.
Electric guitar
On an electric guitar you rarely have to cover the low bass yourself, because in a band the bass player takes that job, so your chords can sit higher and cleaner. The warm hollow-body electric is a classic jazz voice, ideal for the rich chords that back a soloist in swing, though gypsy jazz keeps to its bright acoustic sound. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on C and rings 2 open strings.
Cadences — Harmony comes to rest here — hear every cadence type and train your ear · use it in Chord & Fret
Save this progression in Chord & FretReharmonize — Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize the progression in a tap · try it in Chord & Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of C. In Chord & Fret, you open every position of all 3 chords in this progression along the neck — on any instrument, and hear each one. Open in Chord & Fret →
Metronome — Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · see it in Chord & Fret
This chord has dozens of siblings that didn't fit the page. They're all in the Chord & Fret app, pocket-sized, on the stores.