Shortcuts for Remembering Many ii-V-I Combinations

Shortcuts for Remembering Many ii-V-I Combinations

EVERY major key has a relative minor key which uses exactly the same notes. Easiest to remember is the key of C and it’s relative minor A-.  They both use C D E F G A B C. It’s just that the key of A- starts on the A rather than the C. That is, A B C D E F G A.  All the same notes.

Take a look at Major 6 and Minor 7 Chords.

The C6 chord is made up of C E G A.

The A-7 chord is made up of A C E G.

They are the same. The same notes. The same ‘shapes’ on the fretboard.

If you know all the C6’s up and down the guitar neck, you also know all the A-7’s.

And if you move the C6’s to Db6’s, the shapes are the same, up and down the neck. Ditto A-7’s moving to Bb-7’s.

Ditto for every possible 6 chord and -7 chord: you know them all.

Here’s the leap: 6 chords are commonly used as “I’s” in ii-V-I sequences. And -7 chords are commonly used as “ii’s” in those sequences. SOOOOO: If you know these chords, you only need to toss in some variation of a “V” chord and you know many, many ii-V-I’s.