ii-V-I Laboratory

Major · 12 keys

Progression

Every key

chord tones above, guide tones (3rd and 7th) below

Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7
BDF♯A
guideDA
EG♯BD
guideG♯D
AC♯EG♯
guideC♯G♯
Gm7 → C7 → Fmaj7
EGBD
guideGD
AC♯EG
guideC♯G
DF♯AC♯
guideF♯C♯
Cm7 → F7 → B♭maj7
ACEG
guideCG
DF♯AC
guideF♯C
GBDF♯
guideBF♯
Fm7 → B♭7 → E♭maj7
DFAC
guideFC
GBDF
guideBF
CEGB
guideEB
B♭m7 → E♭7 → A♭maj7
GB♭DF
guideB♭F
CEGB♭
guideEB♭
FACE
guideAE
E♭m7 → A♭7 → D♭maj7
CE♭GB♭
guideE♭B♭
FACE♭
guideAE♭
B♭DFA
guideDA
A♭m7 → D♭7 → G♭maj7
FA♭CE♭
guideA♭E♭
B♭DFA♭
guideDA♭
E♭GB♭D
guideGD
C♯m7 → F♯7 → Bmaj7
B♭D♭FA♭
guideD♭A♭
E♭GB♭D♭
guideGD♭
A♭CE♭G
guideCG
F♯m7 → B7 → Emaj7
E♭G♭B♭D♭
guideG♭D♭
A♭CE♭G♭
guideCG♭
D♭FA♭C
guideFC
Bm7 → E7 → Amaj7
A♭BE♭G♭
guideBG♭
D♭FA♭B
guideFB
G♭B♭D♭F
guideB♭F
Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7
C♯EG♯B
guideEB
F♯A♯C♯E
guideA♯E
BD♯F♯A♯
guideD♯A♯
Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7
F♯AC♯E
guideAE
BD♯F♯A
guideD♯A
EG♯BD♯
guideG♯D♯
Why am I practising this?expand
What it teaches
The most common cadence in the repertoire, in every key, heard as three connected chords rather than three separate scales.
Problem it solves
Players who think chord-by-chord produce disconnected lines; guide tones force connection.
Physical skill
Smooth register changes as the progression moves around the circle — the tonic keeps shifting.
Theory reinforced
The 7th of the ii chord falls a semitone to the 3rd of the V; the 3rd of the V falls to the 7th of the I. That voice leading is the cadence.
Improvisation
Once the guide-tone line is automatic, everything else you play can decorate it.
Ear training
Sing the guide-tone line without the horn. If you can sing it in every key, you hear the progression.
Common mistakes
Arpeggiating every chord from the root; ignoring the V chord's alterations in minor; playing the same lick in all twelve keys.
Recommended tempo
Two beats per chord at 60-80 BPM to begin. Speed comes later.
Increasing difficulty
Add enclosures around each guide tone, then substitute the tritone dominant, then take it through major thirds instead of fourths.
Mastered when
You can play a connected line through ii-V-I in every key with no root-position arpeggios and no hesitation.
How to practise it
  1. 01Play only the guide tones — two notes per chord — around the whole cycle.
  2. 02Add the root and fifth to fill out each chord.
  3. 03Play a line that approaches each guide tone from a semitone below.
  4. 04Move to minor ii-V-i and repeat the whole process.
  5. 05Log the cycle and note the keys where you hesitated.