307 named progressions, from I–V–vi–IV to the 12-bar blues and the Andalusian cadence, in any key and with any capo.
In B major, the ii–V–I is C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7 – Bmaj7. The most important move in jazz: tension built on ii, sharpened on V, released on I.
The library above is set to ii–V–I in B major. Press Play to hear it with strummed guitar, bass and drums in a jazz swing groove, tap any chord to hear it on its own, or pick another key or a capo.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| ii7 | C♯m7 minor seventh | C♯ E G♯ B | predominant (moving away) |
| V7 | F♯7 dominant seventh | F♯ A♯ C♯ E | dominant (pulling home) |
| Imaj7 | Bmaj7 major seventh | B D♯ F♯ A♯ | tonic (home) |
Chords that share notes slide into each other; a change with no common notes sounds like a bigger step. Here is what each change keeps:
The easiest shape for each chord, with finger numbers. The barre chords are the hard part; the capo positions below can avoid them.
With the capo on the 2nd fret you can play B major with A shapes, Bm7, E7, Amaj7, and leave out three full barre chords. Each row shows the shapes you play and how easy they are (capo positions above the 7th fret are left out: the guitar sounds thin up there).
| Capo | Shapes you play | How easy |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd fret | Bm7 E7 Amaj7 | Very easy |
| 4th fret | Am7 D7 Gmaj7 | Very easy |
| 6th fret | Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 | Some barre chords |
| No capo | C♯m7 F♯7 Bmaj7 | Hard |
C♯m7, F♯7 and Bmaj7, played C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7 – Bmaj7.
Capo on the 2nd fret and play Bm7, E7, Amaj7: the easiest shapes for this key.
Keep the numerals (ii7, V7, Imaj7) and build each chord from the new key, or tap another key in the library above and the chords change for you.
G♯ minor. It has the same notes as B major, so G♯m (the vi chord) sounds at home in B progressions.