Jazz Chord Progressions

Chord progressions are the foundation of jazz standards, and when you learn to recognize them, songs no longer seem like a bunch of random chords. You start to notice that much of Western music is built on variations of the same harmonic movements that have developed over time.

A chord progression is a group of chords played in a specific order. It’s the harmonic foundation of a song and supports melody and improvisation.

There are two types of chord progressions:

• Major chord progressions: built around a major key center. A large part of the jazz repertoire is built on major chord progressions.
• Minor chord progressions: built around a minor key center. These progressions use chords from a minor scale, like the natural minor, harmonic minor, or melodic minor.

Major progressions are often described as happy, while minor progressions are associated with a more sad and nostalgic sound. In practice, it’s not that simple. The mood of a progression also depends on the melody, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and the way it is played.

Recognizing common jazz chord progressions makes it easier to learn new songs and understand what you are actually playing.

In this lesson, you will learn the 10 most popular chord progressions used in jazz, as well as different ways to comp through each one on the guitar.

 

 

Here’s a list of chord progressions we’ll cover in this lesson:

 

Jazz Chord Progression 1 – ii V I Major

Dm7	G7	Cmaj7	%
iim7	V7	Imaj7	%

 

The 2-5-1 progression is the most important and basic chord progression in jazz. You’ll hear it in almost every standard, usually several times within the same tune. Some standards are basically just a series of ii-V progressions.

You’ll find this progression in all 12 keys and in many different variations, both rhythmically and harmonically. That’s why it’s a great starting point for learning jazz guitar chords and progressions.

 

Here’s a comping example of a ii–V–I progression in the key of C, using basic jazz chords and walking bass:

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 2 – Diminished Passing Chords

Cmaj7 C#°7	Dm7 D#°7	Em7 A7
Imaj7 #I°7	iim7 #II°7	iiim7VI7

 

This chord progression uses diminished 7 passing chords to connect Imaj7 to iim7, and iim7 to iiim7.

They act as dominant chords:

• C#dim7 = A7b9 (the dominant of Dm7)
• D#dim7 = B7b9 (the dominant of Em7)

These diminished passing chords add tension and help create a smooth chromatic bass line that moves naturally from one chord to the next.

The first chord in the third bar can be played as Em7♭5 or Em7, depending on the tune and the melodic context.

 

Here’s an example of how to play this progression on guitar (in C major):

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 3 – Rhythm Changes A

Cmaj7 Am7	Dm7 G7	Em7 A7	Dm7 G7
Imaj7 vim7	iim7 V7	iiim7 VI7	iim7 V7

 

This chord progression is the first A section of a rhythm changes, also known as a 1-6-2-5 progression, and is often used as a turnaround.

A turnaround is a two-to-four bar chord progression that appears at the end of a standard and leads back to the start of the tune.

Rhythm changes are based on the chord progression from the standard I Got Rhythm, written by George Gershwin in 1930. Swing and bebop musicians used these changes as a base for improvisation. Over the years, many standards have been written using this same harmonic structure.

Rhythm changes are built around the I–vi–ii–V progression. While they might seem simple at first, they offer endless possibilities for comping and reharmonization.

For example, the Am7 in the first bar is often replaced with A7, as you can hear below.

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 4 – Take the A Train

Cmaj7	%	D7	%
Imaj7	%	II7    (V/V)	%

Dm7	G7	Cmaj7	%
iim7	V7	Imaj7	%

 

This chord progression Imaj7 → II7 → iim7 → V7 → Imaj7, shows up in many jazz standards and bossa nova tunes. It is mostly associated with the classic Duke Ellington tune Take The “A” Train.

The II7 chord is what gives this progression its unique sound. In the key of C, this chord is D7. It acts as a secondary dominant (V/V) and adds tension before moving to G7.

A secondary dominant is a chord that temporarily functions as the dominant (V chord) of a scale degree other than the tonic.

Rather than going straight to G7, the D7 first moves to Dm7, then follows the usual 2-5-1 resolution. This delayed resolution is what makes the progression stand out.

Sometimes, this dominant chord is written as D7#11 to add extra tension.

 

A well-known example of this progression is the first A section of The Girl from Ipanema. Here, it’s shown in C major for simplicity, but the original song is in Db major. To learn the original chords and bossa nova rhythm, check out our full The Girl From Ipanema chords lesson.

 

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 5 – Descending 2-5-1 Pattern

Cmaj7	%	Cm7	F7
Imaj7	%	(iim7	V7)

Bbmaj7	%	Bbm7	Eb7
Imaj7	%	(iim7	V7)

Abmaj7	%	Abm7	Db7
Imaj7	%	(iim7	V7)

 

This chord progression features a series of descending 2-5-1s, with each one moving down by a whole step:

C major → Bb major → Ab major.

It includes two modulations:

• The chords start in the key of C major.
• In bar 3, the chords modulate to Bb major.
• In bar 7, the progression modulates to Ab major.

What makes this progression interesting is how it changes key without sounding abrupt. Each modulation is prepared by a 2-5, so even when the harmony moves, it feels natural and connected.

This is a good chord progression to work on because it trains your ear to to hear and recognize modulations, and it strengthens your understanding of the 2-5-1, the most important progression in jazz.

A famous example of this kind of harmony is How High the Moon, which uses the descending harmonic movement to create a feeling of constant motion. The comping example below is in G major. I’ve included a simple version of the melody so you can hear how the harmony and melody work together.

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 6 – Circle of Fifths

Am7	Dm7	G7	Cmaj7
vim7	iim7	V7	Imaj7

Fmaj7	Bm7b5	E7	Am7
IVmaj7	viim7b5	III7	vim7

 

This chord progression follows the circle of fifths, where each chord root moves down by a fifth (or up by a fourth) to the next chord.

This root movement creates one of the strongest chord relationships in music, which is why circle of fifths chord progressions sound so natural and connected.

Circle of fifths progressions usually mix major, minor, half-diminished, and dominant chords. They can include both diatonic and non-diatonic chords.

 

The first comping example in C major is from Fly Me to the Moon, one of the clearest examples of a circle of fifths progression in jazz.

 

 

 

This second example in Ab major is from All The Things You Are.

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 7 – Minor iv Chord and Backdoor ii V

Cmaj7	C7	Fmaj7	Fm7
Imaj7	I7	IVmaj7	ivm7

Em7A7	Dm7G7	Cmaj7	%
iiim7VI7	iim7V7	Imaj7	%

 

This progression uses the minor iv chord, which is a popular borrowed chord found in many styles of music, including jazz, bossa nova, pop, funk, gospel, and soul.

In the key of C, that chord is Fm7, borrowed from the parallel minor key, C minor.

Modal interchange is when you borrow chords from the major or minor version of the same key to make a progression sound more interesting.

The move from Fmaj7 to Fm7 gives this progression its characteristic sound. After the bright sound of the IVmaj7 chord, the shift to ivm7 adds a more melancholic, nostalgic feel.

The minor iv chord shows up a lot in jazz standards such as All of Me and is also found in pop chord progressions such as Blackbird by The Beatles.

 

Here is an example of how you can play this progression on guitar. The iv minor chord can be found in bar 4.

 

 

 

Fm7	Bb7	Cmaj7	%
ivm7	bVII7	Imaj7	%

 

The minor iv chord is also the starting point of the backdoor ii-V, another common progression in jazz standards.

In C major, a backdoor ii-V is:

Fm7 → Bb7 → Cmaj7

 

Unlike the usual Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7 (2 5 1 in C major), the backdoor ii-V approaches Cmaj7 from the minor iv side.

A good example is in bar 4 of the jazz standard Misty.

• Misty is in Eb major.
• The iv minor chord in Eb is Abm7 (borrowed from the Eb minor scale).
• Db7 follows Abm7, creating a backdoor ii-V that resolves to Ebmaj7: Abm7 → Db7 → Ebmaj7

 

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 8 – I to IV

Cmaj7	Gm7 C7	Fmaj7
Imaj7	(iim7 V7)	IVmaj7

 

For anyone that has played the blues, you know that the movement from a I chord to a IV chord is a commonly heard sound in the jazz guitar idiom.

While you may be most familiar with this progression from a jazz-blues standpoint, you can also apply this progression to a major key situation such as the one seen in the examples below.

Working on these two examples, in various keys, will help get this important sound into your ears and under your fingers, allowing you to confidently bring these changes to your jam sessions and gigs in no time:

 

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 9 – ii V I Minor

Dm7b5	G7	Cm7	%
iim7b5	V7	im7	%

 

Just like its major-key cousin, the minor ii V I progression is found in countless tunes from many different composers and improvisers.

Featuring the ever-tricky 7alt chord, this progression can be tougher to master than the major-key version we saw earlier, which is why it’s important to continue to develop your minor ii V I vocabulary even for more experienced players.

 

Here are a couple of examples to help you get started with comping through this important group of 3 chords:

 

 

 

 

Jazz Chord Progression 10 – Stray Cat Strut

Cm7 Cm7/Bb	Ab7 G7
im7 im7/b7	bVI7 V7

 

Heard in the classic tune “Stray Cat Strut,” this minor-key turnaround is one that every jazz guitarist should have under his fingers. With a distinctive bass line, simple yet effective harmonic movement, and a swinging feel, these four chords can add spice to any plain minor-turnaround.

To get you started, here are two ways that you could comp through this important minor-key turnaround: