MPB ii-V-I progression on ukulele
What is the MPB ii-V-I progression?
The MPB ii-V-I progression is DmDmDmDm, G and C (ii–V–I), in the key of C major. Read as harmonic function it moves subdominant → dominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. With sevenths, common in this repertoire, the same path becomes Dm7Dm7Dm7Dm7, G7G7G7G7 and Cmaj7Cmaj7Cmaj7Cmaj7: there is no single required version. 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.
Ukulele
With only four short strings and no bass note, the ukulele lives in a bright, high register; it sketches the chords and leaves the low end to a voice or another instrument. Brazilian styles are not the ukulele's home turf: it can carry a gentle bossa nova, but the percussive drive of samba, choro and pagode asks for more bite and low-end punch than its soft nylon strings can give. Its home chord C keeps its lowest note on C and rings 3 open strings.
Cadences: Harmony comes to rest here: hear cadences on the neck, 9 free and another one each week · open in Chord and Fret
Save this progression in Chord and FretReharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of C. In the app, every chord in this progression comes with its other shapes and audio, free. Open in Chord and Fret →
Metronome: Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · try it in Chord and Fret