The I-vi-ii-V Chord Progression - Music Theoryby Piano Theory

In this lesson we’re going to learn a classic chord progression, the I­-vi-­ii-­V. The I­-vi­-ii-­V is commonly used in jazz standards, especially for introductions, and can be set up as a repeating vamp to extend the beginning of a tune. A couple of famous tunes that use the I­-v-­ii-­V progression are “Blue Moon,” by Lorenz Hart & Richard Rogers, and “At Last,” by Harry Warren. We’ll learn a set of simple but elegant voicings for the I­-vi-­ii-­V, as well as a walking bassline to go underneath, and we’ll cap the lesson with a sample lead­-in figure to set up the start of the form.