II–V–I
II–V–I is the chord sequence from the second via the fifth to the first degree of a key, in C major Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7. It is a cadence in which the supertonic, which stands in for the subdominant, prepares the dominant, which resolves to the tonic. It counts as a basic building block of jazz harmony.
- Degrees
- ii – V – I
- In C major
- Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
- Functions
- supertonic (subdominant function) – dominant – tonic
- Roots
- D – G – C, each a fifth down
- Related closing formula
- IV – V – I (authentic cadence)
Preparation, tension, resolution
The page Diatonic chords describes the supertonic, degree ii, as a stand-in for the subdominant: the sequence ii – V – I is said to be everywhere in jazz. The page Chords & Harmony mentions the sequence together with the cadence arc tonic – subdominant – dominant – tonic. The II–V–I is the shortened form of it: the subdominant side opens the space, the dominant builds tension, the tonic resolves.
| Degree | Chord in C major | Function | Role in the sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ii | Dm7 | supertonic (subdominant function) | prepares the dominant |
| V | G7 | dominant | builds tension, pushes to the tonic |
| I | Cmaj7 | tonic | resolves, the point of rest |
In the dominant seventh chord G7 lies the point of tension towards which everything moves: the page Intervals describes the tritone made of the major third (B) and minor seventh (F) as built-in tension that demands resolution: the B pulls up to C, the F down to E. According to the page, the minor seventh, too, is “a central sound in practically every II–V–I pattern” in jazz.
Listening
Notice how little moves. In the example the upper voices glide in small steps while the bass falls in fifths. That is why the sequence sounds so smooth.
The roots fall by fifths
From D to G and from G to C it is seven semitones down each time, so a perfect fifth. The same motion is a fourth upwards: jazz musicians, says the page Circle of Fifths, often think in fourths.
The minor version has the same shape but different qualities. The second degree becomes a half-diminished chord, the dominant stays a major chord with a leading tone, and the tonic is minor. The page Chords & Harmony calls the half-diminished seventh chord typical of minor cadences.
A sequence that fits in every key
According to the page Diatonic chords the Roman numerals are an international shorthand that works independently of the key. II–V–I therefore means Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 in G major and Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7 in F major: same function, same effect. The page Circle of Fifths counts II–V–I alongside I – IV – V and I – V – vi – IV among the three workhorse progressions that together cover most of the standards in pop, rock, country, soul and jazz.
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Related terms
CadenceSubdominantDominantTonicDominant seventh chordSeventh chordDiatonic chordFull close (authentic cadence)Functional theoryCircle of fifths
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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