ii–V–I Chord Progression
The backbone of jazz harmony. Each chord pulls naturally into the next, landing on the home chord.
ii–V–I in every key
The numerals stay the same in every key; only the chord names change. The easiest keys on guitar are C major, D major, G major.
Songs that use ii–V–I
- Hark! The Herald Angels SingGDA7CAm
- God Rest Ye Merry, GentlemenEmCDB7AmG
- O Come, O Come, EmmanuelEmAmDGB7
- Great Is Thy FaithfulnessDB7EmA7E7AGBm
- It Is Well with My SoulCFAmD7G7
- Michael, Row the Boat AshoreCFEmDmG7
- ShenandoahDGBmEmA
- Home on the RangeGCA7D7Em
- Molly MaloneCAmDmG7
- Battle Hymn of the RepublicGCA7D7Em
- Take Me Out to the Ball GameCG7A7DmD7
Questions
What chords are in the ii–V–I progression?
In C major it is Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7. In any other key, use the same numbered steps (ii7 – V7 – Imaj7) of that key's scale.
What is the easiest key for ii–V–I on guitar?
C major, D major and G major use open chords, so they are the easiest places to start.