Descending ii-V-I Progression
The Descending ii-V-Is is the chord progression Imaj7-i7-IV7-bVIImaj7-bvii7-bIII7-bVImaj7. In the key of C minor it is Cmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1(maj7) 1m(7) 4(7) b7(maj7) b7m(7) b3(7) b6(maj7).
It is also known as whole step descending ii-V-I.
Chords from outside the key of C minor: Cmaj7, F7, Bbmaj7, Bbm7, Eb7.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
A major chord turns minor and becomes the ii of a new key a whole step lower, and the process repeats. Each change is a real modulation, so the tonic keeps sinking. It trains the ear to hear key changes and gives a sense of constant motion.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How High the Moon | Morgan Lewis | bars 1 to 9 | Gmaj7 | Gm7 C7 | Fmaj7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Ebmaj7 | G major |
| Tune Up | Miles Davis | bars 1 to 11 | Em7 A7 | Dmaj7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 | D major |
Descending ii-V-I Progression: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- ii-V-I: Dm G C
- Circle progression: C Am Dm G
- Backdoor progression: Fm7 Bb7 C
- I-#Idim-ii-V: C C#dim Dm G
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Descending ii-V-Is in each key?
In C minor: Cmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7. In G minor: Gmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7. In D minor: Dmaj7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7. In A minor: Amaj7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7. In E minor: Emaj7 Em7 A7 Dmaj7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7.
Which songs use the Descending ii-V-Is?
Songs that use it include How High the Moon by Morgan Lewis, Tune Up by Miles Davis.
