Progression guide
ii–V–I Chord Progression
Learn the ii–V–I progression, hear Dm7–G7–Cmaj7, and see how its three harmonic jobs transfer into six keys.
The short answer
ii7–V7–Imaj7 in C major
Dm7G7Cmaj7
The ii chord prepares motion, V7 creates focused tension, and Imaj7 releases it. The roots move by fifths while the inner notes can move by semitone or whole tone.
01
Hear the complete progression
Play the whole pattern, then press individual chords to learn its shape.
Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
ii7–V7–Imaj7 in C major. Each chord lasts the same amount of time.
Sound loads when you first play.
02
How the chords work
The third and seventh of V7 want to resolve into stable notes of I. Adding sevenths gives each chord a clearer function and creates smoother connections than root-position triads alone.
- ii7 is a pre-dominant chord that points away from rest.
- V7 contains the key’s strongest tension and aims at I.
- Imaj7 resolves the motion while retaining a gentle, open color.
03
The same progression in six keys
The Roman numerals stay fixed while every chord moves with the tonic.
| Tonic | Chords |
|---|---|
| C | Dm7G7Cmaj7 |
| G | Am7D7Gmaj7 |
| F | Gm7C7Fmaj7 |
| D | Em7A7Dmaj7 |
| A | Bm7E7Amaj7 |
| E♭ | Fm7B♭7E♭maj7 |
Useful variations
- Add VI7 after Imaj7 to create a turnaround back to ii7.
- Use a minor ii–V–i by changing ii to half-diminished and I to minor.
- Keep the roots but change the top note to create a simple moving melody.
Practice plan
- Play only the third and seventh of each chord before adding roots.
- Practice around the circle of fifths, moving the whole pattern to a new key.
- Let Imaj7 ring longer so you can hear the point of resolution.