J-pop · Intermediate · major key

J-pop ii–V–I–vi

ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – vi7 — Smooth jazz-pop movement common in city pop and anime songs.

Chord shapes in G 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 ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – vi7 — in C major that is Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Am7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• ii7 — a soft minor chord that leads towards V (a "pre-dominant").
• V7 — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.
• Imaj7 — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.
• vi7 — the relative minor — the "sad" chord of a major key.

J-pop ii–V–I–vi 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 G 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 G major pentatonic or G major scale — 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

• Royal Road full cadence IVmaj7 – V7 – iii7 – vi – ii7 – V7 – I – I
• Komuro progression (vi–IV–V–I) vi – IV – V – I
• Anime chorus climb (IV–V–iii–vi–IV–V–I) IV – V – iii – vi – IV – V – I – I
• Extended Canon turnaround I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – ii – V
• I6–vi7 swing vamp I6 – vi7 – ii7 – V7
• I–vi–IV–ii–V I – vi – IV – ii – V

← Anime chorus climb (IV–V–iii–vi–IV–V–I) · City pop loop →

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