Cycles & Chains

Cycle of Dominants

Dominant 7th chords around the cycle of fifths, each the V of the next, from III7 to V7 and home to I.

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: E7 III7 A7 VI7
Bar 2: D7 II7 G7 V7
Bar 3: Cmaj7 Imaj7
Bar 4: the bar before again, Cmaj7

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

E7
A7
D7
G7
Cmaj7
Cmaj7

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 4

These are extended, or secondary, dominants: E7 is the V of A7, which is the V of D7, which is the V of G7. With no minor chord to rest on, the music leans forward until it lands on I. The bridge of rhythm changes uses the same chords for two bars each. Practice the guide tones: each dominant’s 7th falls a half step to the next one’s 3rd, and its 3rd to the next one’s 7th.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Bb7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7 Cmaj7

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

Bm7 E7 Em7 A7 Am7 D7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7

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

E7 A7 D7 Bb7 Cmaj7

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.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Related ii chords

Backdoor dominants