Cadences

Minor ii-V to Major Progression

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.

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: Dm7♭5 iiø7
Bar 2: G7♭9 V7♭9
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

Dm7b5
G7b9
Cmaj7
Cmaj7

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 4

Composers use it for a bittersweet arrival, and improvisers often play a minor ii-V where the chart has a major one, for the extra colour. Over the V7b9 try the half-whole diminished scale, or Phrygian dominant (harmonic minor from the I’s 5th). Listen for the b9 of the V (Ab in C) falling to the 5th of the I.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Dm7b5 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.
Backdoor dominants

Fm7 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.

Variations

Major ii-V-I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | %

In C: Dm7 G7 Cmaj7

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

iv7 | ♭VII7 | Imaj7 | %

In C: Fm7 Bb7 Cmaj7

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 C: Dm7 Db7 Cmaj7

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

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Backdoor dominants

Variations

Major ii-V-I

Backdoor ii-V-I

Tritone Sub ii-V-I