Chord & FretJazz · ii-V-I — 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.
Play any song you love and it does this: leaves home, takes a walk, and at the right moment somebody yells "come back!". This progression is that route, road sign by road sign: Dm (ii, the stroll) → G (V, time to come back) → C (I, home). Hit play and follow with your finger on the names — when you reach the chord marked "time to come back", notice your own body waiting for C — the home chord.
Guitar
Its six strings spread across a wide neck, so each chord has room to ring, and one player can be the rhythm and the harmony at the same time. In gypsy jazz the acoustic guitar is the star, both the pumping rhythm and the fast lead; in mainstream swing it settles comfortably into the backing chords behind the soloist. 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 · open in Chord & Fret
Save this progression in Chord & FretReharmonize — Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize the progression in a tap · use 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 · try it in Chord & Fret
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