Jazz · Intermediate · major key

Descending line cliché (I–Imaj7–I7–I6)

I – Imaj7 – I7 – I6 — One chord with a note falling a half step at a time.

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 I – Imaj7 – I7 – I6 — in C major that is C – Cmaj7 – C7 – C6. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.

Descending line cliché (I–Imaj7–I7–I6) 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

• ii–V–I–IV ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – IVmaj7
• Imaj7–I6 vamp Imaj7 – I6 – Imaj7 – I6
• Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7
• Circle progression (vi–ii–V–I) vi – ii – V – I
• Jazz ii–V–I ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
• I6–vi7 swing vamp I6 – vi7 – ii7 – V7

← I–I7–IV–iv · I–IV–V7–I →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

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