Introduction
If you have been working your way through these modules, by now you have learned about Jazz Chords and Voicings, as well as Jazz Scales and Improvisation. So now it’s time to talk about some Common Jazz Chord Progressions.
Common Jazz Chord Progressions
Jazz, like every music genre, has its overused clichés and standard repertoire. Sometimes a song becomes so well known and widely played that it becomes a Jazz Standard. And these Jazz Standards often become or are built from commonly used chord progressions. Below is a list of common Jazz chord progressions that you will find in a LOT of a Jazz songs. All of them are widely used and worth memorising. Keep an eye out for them next time you’re learning a song. The most important progressions will be covered in greater detail in future lessons.
Bluesy
- 12 Bar Blues
- Used in every single blues song ever and many many Jazz songs
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
| F7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |
| G7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |
- Andalusian Cadence
- Hit the Road Jack
- Why Don’t You do Right?
- Feeling Good
Circle of Fifths
- Circle Progression
- Fly Me to the Moon
- Autumn Leaves
- You Never Give Me Your Money
| Minor Key |
| Am7 | Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 |
| FMaj7 | Bø7 | E7 | Am7 |
| Major Key |
| CMaj7 | FMaj7 | Bø7 | Em7 |
| Am7 | Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 |
- II-V-I (fragment of the Circle Progression)
- III-VI-II-V (fragment of the Circle Progression)
| Em7 - A7 | Dm7 - G7 | CMaj7 | CMaj7 |
Classics
- Line Cliché
- My Funny Valentine
- Lover Lies
- In Walked Bud
- Blue Skies
| Em/E | EmMaj7/D# | Em7/D | Em6/C# | C7 or CMaj7 | B7 |
| Em | EmMaj7 | Em6 | Em♭6 | C7 or CMaj7 | B7 |
- Rhythm Changes
- I Got Rhythm
- Lester Leaps In
- Don’t Be That Way
- Blue Moon
- Cottontail
- And there are hundreds more…
Pop
- Four Chord Pop Song (not exactly a Jazz Chord Progression, but it’s common enough to warrant a mention)
- Every Pop Song Every Written!
Another II-V-I
- Minor ii-V-i
- Every minor jazz song ever
| Dm7♭5 | G7♭9 | CmMaj7 or Cm6 | CmMaj7 or Cm6 |
Major to relative minor
- I-III7-vi OR I-viø-III7-vi
- Georgia on my Mind
- Come Rain or Come Shine
- There Will Never be Another You
- All of Me
- Sunny Side on the Street
- Blues for Alice
OR
| CMaj7 | Bm7♭5 - E7 | Am7 | Dm7 or FMaj7 |
‘A’ Train
- I-II7
- Take the ‘A’ Train
- Girl from Ipanema
| CMaj7 | CMaj7 | D7 | D7 |
| Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 | CMaj7 |
Parallel minor
- II7–iim7 (Dominant to minor)
- There Will Never Be Another You
- IV – iv (Major to minor)
- All of Me
- All The Things You Are
| FMaj7 | Fm7 | Em7 | A7 |
| Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 | CMaj7 |
- I-i (Major to minor)
- The Man I Love
- On Green Dolphin Street
Circle of Fifths
- Dominant Circle
- I Got Rhythm
- Sweet Georgia Brown
- Descending ii-V-I
- How High The Moon
- One Note Samba
| CMaj7 | CMaj7 | Cm7 | FMaj7 |
| B♭Maj7 | B♭Maj7 | B♭m7 | E♭7...etc. |
Chromatic
| Em7 - A7 | Am7 - D7 | A♭m7 - D♭7 | CMaj7 |
Parallel Half-Steps
- Parallel Half-Steps
- You Stepped Out of a Dream
- Well, You Needn’t
- So What
- Impressions
- Every Modal Jazz song
Diminished Passing Chords
- Diminished Passing Chords
- Ain’t Misbehavin’
- Have You Met Miss Jones?
| CMaj7 - D♭o7 | Dm7 - E♭o7 | Em7 - A7 | Dm7 - G7 |
Coltrane Changes
| BMaj7 - D7 | GMaj7 - B♭7 | E♭Maj7 - F#7 | BMaj7 |
To hear what the above chord progressions sound like, check out the below videos.
Part I
Part II
Part III
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