Jazz · Advanced · major key

Backdoor ii–V (iv7–♭VII7–I)

iv7 – ♭VII7 – Imaj7 — Resolving home from the "back door": warm and a little bluesy.

Chord shapes in A major (standard tuning)

Using a different tuning? Open it in the Looper — it finds playable shapes for whatever tuning you choose.

How the chords work

Written in Roman numerals, this progression is iv7 – ♭VII7 – Imaj7 — in C major that is Fm7 – Bb7 – Cmaj7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• iv7 — the minor four chord: darker and more emotional.
• ♭VII7 — a major chord a whole step below home, borrowed from the minor key — classic rock swagger.
• Imaj7 — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.

Backdoor ii–V (iv7–♭VII7–I) in all 12 keys

Practice ideas

• Beginners: play one strum per chord and say the chord names out loud, then two strums, then a steady down-down-up-up-down-up pattern.
• Change keys with a capo: keep the A major shapes and move a capo up — the capo calculator shows which fret gives the key you want.
• Solo over it: loop it in the Looper and improvise with the A major pentatonic or A major scale or A Mixolydian — the scale pages show every position and play a backing track.
• Train your ear: the progression ear trainer mixes this with similar progressions until you can tell them apart.

Similar progressions

• Bird blues (Parker changes) Imaj7 – viiø7 – III7 – vi7 – II7 – v7 – I7 – IV7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – iii7 – VI7 – ii7 – ♭III7 – ii7 – V7
• Tritone-substitute ii–♭II–I ii7 – ♭II7 – Imaj7
• Minor ii–V to the relative major iiø7 – V7 – i7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7
• ii–V–I–VI turnaround ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – VI7
• Jazz circle iii–vi–ii–V–I iii7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
• Jazz blues I7 – IV7 – I7 – I7 – IV7 – ♯iv°7 – I7 – VI7 – ii7 – V7 – I7 – V7

← Tritone-substitute ii–♭II–I · Ragtime circle (III7–VI7–II7–V7–I) →

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