ii–V–I chord progressions

The ii–V–I is the most important three-chord movement in jazz. In C major: Dm7–G7–Cmaj7. The ii minor seventh chord (Dm7) creates mild tension, the V dominant seventh chord (G7) creates strong tension with its tritone interval (B to F), and the I major seventh chord (Cmaj7) resolves that tension completely. This arc of mild tension — strong tension — resolution appears in virtually every jazz standard ever written, from "Autumn Leaves" to "All The Things You Are" to "There Will Never Be Another You."

What makes the ii–V–I powerful is the tritone in the dominant chord. In G7, the notes B and F form a tritone — an interval of six semitones that creates maximum harmonic tension because it is exactly halfway around the chromatic scale. That tritone wants to resolve: B moves up a half step to C, and F moves down a half step to E. Those two notes are the third and fifth of Cmaj7. The resolution is built into the physics of the progression — G7 is literally pointing at Cmaj7.

The minor ii–V–i (also written ii°–V–i or ii∅–V–i) uses a half-diminished ii chord instead of a minor seventh. In A minor: Bm7b5–E7–Am7. The V chord in minor is E7 — a major dominant seventh, borrowing the G# from the harmonic minor scale. That raised leading tone makes the resolution to Am even stronger. Tritone substitution replaces G7 with Db7 — they share the same tritone (B/Cb and F) and create a chromatic bass descent (G–Db–C) into the tonic. The progressions below cover the ii–V–I in major and minor keys, with extensions, and with common substitutions.