Guitar progression
The Jazz Heartbeat
ii⁷ – V⁷ – I△⁷ in C major
1
ii7
2
V7
3
Imaj7
About this progression
The single most important cadence in jazz. Every standard from Autumn Leaves to Misty leans on this gentle tension-and-release. Once it lives in your fingers, jazz starts to sound like a language you can speak.
Practice tip — Swing the strum: long-short, long-short. The G⁷ should feel like it's leaning hard into the Cmaj⁷.
Chord shapes
Every unique chord this progression uses. Take your time with each one before stringing them together.
Songs you already know with this progression
- Autumn Leaves — Joseph Kosma
- Fly Me to the Moon — Bart Howard
- All the Things You Are — Jerome Kern
- Take the A Train — Billy Strayhorn