{"id":12130,"date":"2024-03-21T15:20:29","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T22:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=12130"},"modified":"2024-03-21T15:20:35","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T22:20:35","slug":"251-chord-progression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/251-chord-progression\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2-5-1 Chord Progression: Beginner&#8217;s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Most Popular Jazz Progression - The Piano Bench (Ep. 4)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hg68jt6iXL0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2-5-1 chord progression is an essential musical concept. It\u2019s most common in jazz, but it can be found in pop, classical, and other styles of music too. Learning this musical building block will help you understand harmony and add creative flair to your playing, no matter the genre you choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-is-the-2-5-1-chord-progression\">What is the 2-5-1 chord progression?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-make-the-2-5-1-jazzy\">How to Make the 2-5-1 \u201cJazzy\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-5-1-song-examples\">2-5-1 Song Examples<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-use-the-2-5-1-chord-progression\">How to Use the 2-5-1 Chord Progression<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-5-1-s-in-minor-keys\">2-5-1s in Minor Keys<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-practice-2-5-1-chord-progressions\">How to Practice 2-5-1 Chord Progressions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat Sheet<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Get exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><small><i>By signing up you\u2019ll also receive our ongoing free lessons and special offers. Don\u2019t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.<\/i><\/small><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color\" id=\"what-is-the-2-5-1-chord-progression\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>What is the 2-5-1 chord progression?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2-5-1 chord progression (sometimes called the ii-V-I) is an ordered set of three chords built on the second, fifth, and first notes of the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a step back and break that down. Here\u2019s a C major scale. We\u2019ll assign a number to each note of the scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22103942\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Notes-1024x196.png\" alt=\"C major scale in whole notes labelled with note names and degrees of the scale.\" class=\"wp-image-12138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22103942\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Notes-1024x196.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22103942\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Notes-300x57.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22103942\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Notes-768x147.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22103942\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Notes-1536x294.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22103942\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Notes-2048x392.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, let\u2019s build a chord on each note of the scale. To keep things simple, we\u2019ll use triads for now. All we\u2019ll do is stack thirds on top of each note. The chords we\u2019ll end up with are called <strong>diatonic chords<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/diatonic-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diatonic chords<\/a> are chords that occur naturally on the C major scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"285\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22104447\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Chords-1024x285.png\" alt=\"Diatonic chords in C major with Roman numerals and chord names.\" class=\"wp-image-12139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22104447\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Chords-1024x285.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22104447\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Chords-300x83.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22104447\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Chords-768x213.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22104447\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Chords-1536x427.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22104447\/C-Major-Diatonic-Scale-Chords-2048x569.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice that some chords are major and some are minor or diminished. We can indicate minor (and diminished) chords with lowercase Roman numerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let\u2019s take the ii, V, and I chords. If we put them together, we get a 2-5-1 chord progression:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22115507\/ii-V-I-triads-1024x251.png\" alt=\"Standard notation of Dm, G and C triads in whole notes with Roman numeral analysis (ii V I).\" class=\"wp-image-12142\" style=\"width:588px;height:144px\" width=\"588\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22115507\/ii-V-I-triads-1024x251.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22115507\/ii-V-I-triads-300x73.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22115507\/ii-V-I-triads-768x188.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22115507\/ii-V-I-triads-1536x376.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22115507\/ii-V-I-triads-2048x501.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-make-the-2-5-1-jazzy\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How to Make the 2-5-1 \u201cJazzy\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2-5-1 already sounds very nice, but we can add more depth to it by adding a seventh to each chord. This creates major and minor seven chords. Here\u2019s an example in C major:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22121639\/ii-V-I-7ths-1024x300.png\" alt=\"Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 chord progression in standard notation with Roman numeral analysis (ii7 V7 I7).\" class=\"wp-image-12143\" style=\"width:563px;height:165px\" width=\"563\" height=\"165\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22121639\/ii-V-I-7ths-1024x300.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22121639\/ii-V-I-7ths-300x88.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22121639\/ii-V-I-7ths-768x225.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22121639\/ii-V-I-7ths-1536x449.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22121639\/ii-V-I-7ths-2048x599.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-5-1-song-examples\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>2-5-1 Song Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to get familiar with the 2-5-1 is to recognize it by ear. Here are some songs that use this handy progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"autumn-leaves-joseph-kosma\" style=\"font-size:24px\">&#8220;Autumn Leaves&#8221; &#8211; Joseph Kosma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The jazz standard \u201cAutumn Leaves\u201d is an excellent example of the 2-5-1 in jazz. The entire song is practically built on 2-5-1s. Take a look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/tabs.ultimate-guitar.com\/tab\/eric-clapton\/autumn-leaves-chords-1009824\">chord chart<\/a> and see if you can find them. Hint: The quality of each chord doesn&#8217;t need to match the minor-dominant 7th-major pattern perfectly; it&#8217;s the root movement that counts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Autumn Leaves Piano by Sangah Noona\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bCSQB_beCSA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sunday-morning-maroon-5\" style=\"font-size:24px\">&#8220;Sunday Morning&#8221; &#8211; Maroon 5<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Maroon 5 song \u201cSunday Morning\u201d is a fantastic introduction to the 2-5-1 chord progression because it uses 2-5-1s over and over (and in C major too!). This gives the song a relaxed, jazzy sound perfectly reminescent of lazy Sunday mornings. (P.S.: We have a tutorial on this song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-play-sunday-morning\/\">here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How To Play &quot;Sunday Morning&quot; by Maroon 5 (Beginner Piano Lesson)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uK31C7cKF-I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"brandenburg-concerto-no-2-in-f-major-j-s-bach\" style=\"font-size:24px\">Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major &#8211; J.S. Bach<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find the 2-5-1 in classical music, often as a way to end a longer progression. For example, here\u2019s a section of Bach\u2019s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major. (Robert Hutchinson does a phenomenal job of explaining this progression <a href=\"https:\/\/musictheory.pugetsound.edu\/mt21c\/CircleOfFifths.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>, the larger of which is the Circle of Fifths progression.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047: I. [Allegro]\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dHrvGOd6G20?start=74&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-use-the-2-5-1-chord-progression\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How to Use the 2-5-1 Chord Progression<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>2-5-1s can be used to reharmonize songs. By throwing 2-5s into chord progressions, we can make a song sound \u201cjazzier,\u201d instantly elevating it from a basic performance to a sophisticated one. Here&#8217;s an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reharmonizing-happy-birthday\" style=\"font-size:24px\">Reharmonizing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In our <em>Piano Bench<\/em> episode, Kevin Castro demonstrates using 2-5-1s in major keys with an example from \u201cHappy Birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The beginning of \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d is rather simple. All we do is bop between the I and V chords. In C major, that\u2019s the C and G major chords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135350\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-2-1024x240.png\" alt=\"First line of Happy Birthday in standard notation in C major with chord names on top and Roman numeral analysis on the bottom.\" class=\"wp-image-12152\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135350\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-2-1024x240.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135350\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-2-300x70.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135350\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-2-768x180.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135350\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-2-1536x361.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135350\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-2-2048x481.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now focus on that last C chord. We\u2019ll treat it as our \u201ctarget chord\u201d and use the ii and V of C major to approach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, we\u2019ll chuck in a 2-5-1:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135717\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-251-1024x240.png\" alt=\"First line of Happy Birthday in standard notation in C major with chord names on top and Roman numeral analysis on the bottom, a 2-5-1 progression leading to the last C chord.\" class=\"wp-image-12153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135717\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-251-1024x240.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135717\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-251-300x70.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135717\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-251-768x180.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135717\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-251-1536x361.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/22135717\/Happy-Birthday-Lead-Sheet-251-2048x481.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Try this out on your piano. The ii-V adds a layer of richness to an otherwise simple progression, doesn\u2019t it? This is a common reharmonization method that jazz pianists use, and it\u2019s a cool trick to pull off in parties \ud83d\ude09&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-5-1-s-in-minor-keys\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>2-5-1s in Minor Keys<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2-5-1 chord progression works similarly to minor keys. But let\u2019s review the diatonic chords in a minor scale first. Here is the C minor scale with diatonic chords:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120732\/C-Minor-Diatonic-Chords-1024x231.png\" alt=\"C minor diatonic chords\" class=\"wp-image-16777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120732\/C-Minor-Diatonic-Chords-1024x231.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120732\/C-Minor-Diatonic-Chords-300x68.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120732\/C-Minor-Diatonic-Chords-768x173.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120732\/C-Minor-Diatonic-Chords-1536x346.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120732\/C-Minor-Diatonic-Chords-2048x462.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If we take the ii, the V, and the i from this set, we create this:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120814\/Cm-251-1024x310.png\" alt=\"C minor 2-5-1 progression.\" class=\"wp-image-16778\" style=\"width:495px;height:150px\" width=\"495\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120814\/Cm-251-1024x310.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120814\/Cm-251-300x91.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120814\/Cm-251-768x233.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19120814\/Cm-251.png 1344w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Notice that we raise the B-flat to a B on the V chord. That\u2019s because raising the seventh note of a minor scale (B-flat in our case) creates a more resolved sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-practice-2-5-1-chord-progressions\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How to Practice 2-5-1 Chord Progressions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, you want the ability to spontaneously throw 2-5-1s into whatever music you\u2019re playing. For example, if there is an Fmaj7 coming up, you can chuck a Gm7 (ii7) and a C7 (V7) in front of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting to this level requires practice. Kevin practiced 2-5-1s for three months until he got to this point. What he did was practice 2-5-1s in every key by moving down step by step. Here\u2019s what that looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19121234\/251-major-exercises-1024x464.png\" alt=\"251 chord progressions in 6 keys.\" class=\"wp-image-16779\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19121234\/251-major-exercises-1024x464.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19121234\/251-major-exercises-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19121234\/251-major-exercises-768x348.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19121234\/251-major-exercises-1536x696.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/19121234\/251-major-exercises-2048x928.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you&#8217;d start the cycle again on C#m7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat-sheet\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Cheat Sheet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Try not to rely on written notation when you practice 2-5-1s. It\u2019s best to \u201ccalculate\u201d the 2-5-1s yourself so you understand the concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, having a cheat sheet can help in the beginning stages\u2014if you want to double-check that you\u2019re playing the right chord, for example. So, here are ALL the 2-5-1s in major and minor keys! Just try not to depend on this, okay? \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-regular\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Target Note (Key)<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">ii<sup>7<\/sup><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">V<sup>7<\/sup><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">I<sup>7<\/sup><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Dm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Cmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266f\/D\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">D\u266fm7\/E\u266dm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G\u266f7\/A\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266fmaj7\/D\u266dmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">D<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Em7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Dmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Fm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E\u266dmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266fm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Emaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Gm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Fmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266f\/G\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G\u266fm7\/A\u266dm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266f7\/D\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266fmaj7\/G\u266dmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Am7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">D7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Gmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266dm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A\u266dmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Bm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Amaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Cm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266dmaj7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266fm7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266f7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Bmaj7<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Minor Keys<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-regular\"><table class=\"has-white-background-color has-background\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Target Note (Key)<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>ii<sup>\u00f87<\/sup><\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>V<sup>7<\/sup><\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>i<sup>7<\/sup><\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Dm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Cm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266f\/D\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">D\u266fm7\u266d5\/E\u266dm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G\u266f7\/A\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266fm7\/D\u266dm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">D<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Em7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Dm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Fm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E\u266dm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266fm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Em7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Gm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Fm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266f\/G\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G\u266fm7\u266d5\/A\u266dm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266f7\/D\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266fm7\/G\u266dm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">G<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Am7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">D7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Gm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266dm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E\u266d7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A\u266dm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">A<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Bm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">E7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Am7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266d<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Cm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B\u266dm7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">B<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">C\u266fm7\u266d5<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">F\u266f7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Bm7<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everything you need to know about the 2-5-1 chord progression for jazz piano, including theory, how to use it, and how to practice it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":12614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1104,507],"tags":[1134],"class_list":["post-12130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chord-progressions","category-chord-theory","tag-easy-chords"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12130"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16802,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130\/revisions\/16802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}