Cadences

Backdoor ii-V-I Progression in D

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.

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: Gm7 iv7
Bar 2: C7 ♭VII7
Bar 3: Dmaj7 Imaj7
Bar 4: the bar before again, Dmaj7

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

Gm7
C7
Dmaj7
Dmaj7

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 4

In C the chords are Fm7, Bb7 and Cmaj7. The minor iv’s Ab falls a half step to G, and the bVII7 has no leading tone at all, which gives the resolution a warm, wistful sound. It turns up all over the standard repertoire, both into the tonic and into the IV chord. Practice it beside the ordinary ii-V-I and listen to the different pull of the two dominants.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Passing diminished chords

Gm7 C7 C#dim7 Dmaj7

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.

Backdoor ii-V-I Progression in D

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Passing diminished chords

Variations

Major ii-V-I

Tritone Sub ii-V-I

Minor ii-V to Major