Chord Progression IImin7 - V7 - Imaj7 of the major scale Description In the key of C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | F# - Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B SCALES major pentatonic minor pentatonic blues scale major scale natural minor harmonic minor melodic minor CHORDS triad chords 7th chord qualities scale-tone chords IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 progression IIø - V7 - Imin progression Key signatures Improvisation Studio

The IIm7 - V7 - Imaj7 Chord Progression of the Major scale

Below are the first (Imaj7), second (IImin7) and fifth (V7) scale-tone chords of the major scale.

Audio 1

Placed in Circle of Fifths order they form the tail end of the scale-tone chord progression of the major scale.

Audio 2


This simple chord segment and the parts thereof (IIm7-V7 and V7-I) are by far the most common chord segments used in Western music, Classical, Jazz, and Popular.

Improvisation practice over this segment in all keys is therefore the bread and butter of every aspiring Jazz improviser.
Below a typical practice routine, where you play

• the Dorian mode over the IIm7 chord
  
  
• the Mixolydian mode over the V7 chord, and
  
  
• the major scale over the Imaj7 chord.

Audio 3

The D Dorian and G Mixolydian modes are both derived from the C major scale. The same seven notes are therefore used for the entire II-V-I segment.

The IIm7-V7-Imaj7 chord progression and corresponding modes in all 12 keys are listed below in Circle of Fifths order. Chord tones are shown in bold.