Cadences

Major ii-V-I Progression in Ab

The most common cadence in jazz: a ii-V resolving to the major 7th tonic.

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: B♭m7 ii7
Bar 2: E♭7 V7
Bar 3: A♭maj7 Imaj7
Bar 4: the bar before again, Abmaj7

Rootless Shells Guide tones Rooted shells Rooted Drop 2

Four-note rootless voicings in their two forms, with the 3rd or the 7th on the bottom, played over the root.

Customize each chord

Bbm7
Eb7
Abmaj7
Abmaj7

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 4

The ii-V-I is how jazz says which key it is in. From chord to chord the 3rds and 7ths either hold or move by a half step (in C, F stays F then falls to E, while C falls to B and stays), so a voice-led ii-V-I barely moves while the harmony changes completely. It ends phrase after phrase of the standard repertoire. Practice it in every key, then compare the minor version and the substitutes in this section.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Bbm7 A7 Abmaj7

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.
Backdoor dominants

Dbm7 Gb7 Abmaj7

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.

Variations

Backdoor ii-V-I

iv7 | ♭VII7 | Imaj7 | %

In Ab: Dbm7 Gb7 Abmaj7

A ii-V that comes in by the back door: iv7 and bVII7, borrowed from the parallel minor, resolving up a whole step to the major I instead of down a fifth.
Tritone Sub ii-V-I

ii7 | ♭II7 | Imaj7 | %

In Ab: Bbm7 A7 Abmaj7

The ii-V-I with a tritone substitute: bII7 in place of V7, so the bass falls by half steps from ii to I.
Minor ii-V to Major

iiø7 | V7♭9 | Imaj7 | %

In Ab: Bbm7b5 Eb7b9 Abmaj7

A minor ii-V resolving to a major I: the half-diminished ii and the dominant's b9 darken the approach, then the major tonic brightens it.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Backdoor dominants

Variations

Backdoor ii-V-I

Tritone Sub ii-V-I

Minor ii-V to Major