Cycles & Chains

Whole-Step ii-V Chain

Three ii-Vs, each a whole step below the last and the last one the backdoor ii-V: a chain of keys that doesn't arrive until the end.

Tempo 120 BPM

Practice in all 12 keys

Bar 1: Am7 vi7 D7 II7
Bar 2: Gm7 v7 C7 I7
Bar 3: Fm7 iv7 B♭7 ♭VII7
Bar 4: Cmaj7 Imaj7

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

Am7
D7
Gm7
C7
Fm7
Bb7
Cmaj7

Meter: 4/4
Bars: 4

In C the chain runs Am7 D7, Gm7 C7, Fm7 Bb7 and on to Cmaj7. Each ii-V points to a key it never reaches (G, then F, then Eb) until the last slips into C by the back door. Chains like this are common in bridges. Practice outlining each ii-V with its guide tones, and keep your line moving by step through the key changes.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Am7 Ab7 Gm7 C7 Fm7 Bb7 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.
Passing diminished chords

Am7 D7 Gm7 C7 Fm7 Bb7 Bdim7 Cmaj7

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.

Reharmonize Analyze these changes

Tritone substitutes

Passing diminished chords