Cadences

Tritone Sub ii-V-I Progression

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

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: Dm7 ii7
Bar 2: D♭7 ♭II7
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

Dm7
Db7
Cmaj7
Cmaj7

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 4

Db7 and G7 share their 3rd and 7th (F and Cb, which sounds as B), so either can lead to C; the substitute just puts a chromatic line in the bass. Over the bII7 play Lydian dominant, which has the same notes as the altered scale on the original V7. Practice switching between V7 and bII7 in the same spot until you can hear the difference in the bass.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

None of the usual substitutions apply: there are no dominant 7ths to replace and no whole steps to fill.

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.
Minor ii-V to Major

iiø7 | V7♭9 | Imaj7 | %

In C: Dm7b5 G7b9 Cmaj7

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

Variations

Major ii-V-I

Backdoor ii-V-I

Minor ii-V to Major