Major I-VI-ii-V Progression in A

Tritone substitutes

Amaj7 C7 Bm7 Bb7

Each dominant 7th that resolves down a fifth becomes the dominant a tritone away, which shares its 3rd and 7th, so the bass moves by half steps.

Related ii chords

Amaj7 C#m7b5 F#7 Bm7 E7

Each dominant 7th gets the ii chord of its own ii-V before it, half a dominant's time each.

Backdoor dominants

Amaj7 F#7 Dm7 G7

Each V7 resolving to a major chord comes in by the back door from bVII7, with iv7 for its ii, borrowed from the minor key.

Passing diminished chords

Amaj7 A#dim7 Bm7 E7

Diminished 7ths on the half steps between chords a whole step apart, or in place of a dominant whose 3rd is a half step above the chord before.

Major I-vi-ii-V

Imaj7 vi7 | ii7 V7

In A: Amaj7 F#m7 Bm7 E7

The basic turnaround: diatonic chords falling in fifths from vi back to I, two to a bar, to bring a tune back to the top.

Major iii-VI-ii-V

iii7 VI7 | ii7 V7

In A: C#m7 F#7 Bm7 E7

The I-VI-ii-V turnaround with iii, which shares three notes with the I chord, standing in for the tonic.

Diminished Passing Turnaround

Imaj7 ♯i°7 | ii7 V7

In A: Amaj7 A#dim7 Bm7 E7

The I-VI-ii-V with a diminished 7th chord on #I in place of VI7, so the bass rises by half steps from I to ii.

Tritone Sub Turnaround

Imaj7 ♭III7 | ii7 ♭II7

In A: Amaj7 C7 Bm7 Bb7

The I-VI-ii-V with tritone substitutes for its dominants, bIII7 for VI7 and bII7 for V7, so the bass falls by half steps from bIII back to I.

Chromatic iii-bIII-ii-bII

iii7 ♭III7 | ii7 ♭II7

In A: C#m7 C7 Bm7 Bb7

The iii-VI-ii-V turnaround with both dominants replaced by tritone substitutes, so the roots descend by half steps from iii to I.

Tadd Dameron Turnaround

Imaj7 ♭IIImaj7 | ♭VImaj7 ♭IImaj7

In A: Amaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7

A turnaround of major 7th chords on I, bIII, bVI and bII, named after the bebop composer and arranger Tadd Dameron.