Jazz · Intermediate · minor key

Modal i7–ii7 vamp

i7 – ii7 — Dorian modal jazz: two minor sevenths a step apart.

Chord shapes in A minor (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 i7 – ii7 — in A minor that is Am7 – Bm7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• i7 — the minor home chord.
• ii7 — a soft minor chord that leads towards V (a "pre-dominant").

Modal i7–ii7 vamp 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 minor 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 minor pentatonic or A natural minor or A blues 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

• Minor ii–V–i iiø7 – V7 – i – i
• Minor ii–V–i chain ("Autumn Leaves") iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7 – ♭VImaj7 – iiø7 – V7 – i – i
• Minor ii–V to the relative major iiø7 – V7 – i7 – iv7 – ♭VII7 – ♭IIImaj7
• Minor line cliché into iv i – imaj7 – i7 – iv
• Minor line cliché i – imaj7 – i7 – i6
• Dorian i–ii–♭III–ii i – ii – ♭III – ii

← Tango i–♭VI7–V7 · Aeolian i–♭VI vamp →

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