Chord & FretSamba · ii-V-I — Ukulele
What is the Samba · ii-V-I progression?
The Samba · ii-V-I progression is Cm → F → A# (ii – V – I), in the key of Bb. Read as harmonic function it moves subdominant → dominant → tonic, arriving home on a cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Good music works like a good walk: you leave, get a little lost on purpose, and come back. The map of this one: Cm (ii, the stroll) → F (V, time to come back) → A# (I, home). Press play and follow along — at the "time to come back" chord, notice the physical urge to hear A# again — the home chord.
Ukulele
Its fourth string is tuned higher than you would expect, so a chord's notes bunch close together instead of spreading from low to high, giving that clear, chiming sound. 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 A# keeps its lowest note on D.
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 A#. 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
When you're ready to go from reading to playing, the Chord & Fret app puts this fretboard interactive in your hand — grab it on the stores.