Jazz Theory Cheat Sheet: The ii V I In All 12 Keys
February 12, 2026
As you continue to develop your jazz theory skills you’re going to want to make it a goal of being able to instantly play a ii-V-I chord progression in all 12 keys.
Since you’ll hear the ii V I chord progression in so many great jazz tunes it’s vitally important that you learn how to play it quickly.
It’s for that reason that many players (including myself) will practice a lot of musical concepts they learn (new voicings, patterns etc.) in context of a ii V I chord progression.
This type of practice will help you take new pieces of jazz vocabulary you learn and quickly make it musical. It’s all about being musical right? 🙂
Jazz Theory Shortcuts
Not everybody can transpose quickly just yet. Sometimes it can take a while to build your jazz theory skills to the point where you can instantly know what a ii V I is in any key.
While your building your jazz theory and transposition skills I wanted to give you a reference guide you can use for practicing the ii V I in any key.
So, I’ve created a handy 2 5 1 progression ‘cheat sheet’ you can use as a reference to help you practice your patterns in all 12 keys.
You should still make it a goal of memorizing the 2 5 1 chord progression in every key but this guide will jump start the process for you and make it easier.
I encourage you to save this page and/or print it out for your reference. Enjoy your practice! (Please feel free to share this page if you find it useful.)
Here is the ii V I in every key. I’ve listed the keys below in order of the circle of fifths. I encourage you to practice them in any order you’d like though (half steps, whole steps, random, throw them in tunes, etc.)
Don’t get hung up on what pattern you should practice them in. Instead just focus on memorizing the 2 5 1 in each key and the rest will take care of itself! 🙂
ii V I’s In All 12 Keys
Key of C: Dm7 G7 Cmaj7
Key of F: Gm7 C7 Fmaj7
Key of Bb: Cm7 F7 Bbmaj7
Key of Eb: Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7
Key of Ab: Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7
Key of Db: Ebm7 Ab7 Dbmaj7
Key of Gb: Abm7 Db7 Gbmaj7
Key of B: C#m7 F#7 Bmaj7
Key of E: F#m7 B7 Emaj7
Key of A: Bm7 E7 Amaj7
Key of D: Em7 A7 Dmaj7
Key of G: Am7 D7 Gmaj7
What About Sharp Keys For The 2 5 1?
One thing that’s real important to mention is that jazz tends to be played and written in flat keys. This is because of the strong influence of horn players on jazz.
Every instrument has it’s own unique design features. Because of the unique way trumpets and saxes are designed it’s usually easier for them to play and think in flat keys.
That’s why most of the time you’ll see a Bbmaj7 chord as opposed to an A#maj7 chord or an Ebmin7 chord as opposed to an D#min7.
So, that’s why I listed the chart above using flat based keys like Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb. It’s just easier to think 2 5 1 jazz in flat keys since you’ll see these keys ways more often than the sharp keys.
Special Note For Premium Members And Jazz Masters Method Owners
For owners of the Jazz Masters Method Improvisation DVD
You’ll want to practice all the improv patterns and licks you learn in there using the reference guide above.
By practicing all the licks and vocab you learn in the DVD in every key it will really take your skills to a whole other level. You’ll be able to improvise more freely over many tunes after that.
For members of The Premium Membership Course
You’ll want to use the reference guide above and use it with all the chord voicings you learn inside the Chords Library.
You can use it with any of the Chords Library lessons but you can especially use it for Chords Library Lesson 1 and Chords Library Lesson 2.
Extra Credit
When I was in 1st grade I used to get Star Wars stickers when I did extra reading homework. 🙂
Holy geez..did that motivate me to read. I loved Luke Skywalker when I was 6.
These days Luke Skywalker and stickers don’t quite have the same motivational pull anymore. But, I do get motivated by playing jazz on a higher level. That’s true extra credit and freedom for me. 🙂
My guess is that if you’re reading this you’re also motivated by the thought of playing jazz piano on a higher level.
So, if you want an additional challenge you could use the ii V I key chart above to take a tune or 2 in all 12 keys.
I never recommend an exercise that I haven’t done myself. When I was at Berklee I used to take EVERY tune I learned in all 12 keys. That opened huge doors in my playing and taught me to transpose very quickly.
It also helped me learn tunes on a much deeper level. I felt more connected spiritually and emotionally to the tune too. It was a very cool feeling.
The fact that a simple transposition brought so much joy is something I’ll never forget. I’ve always found that the more I put into my music the more it gave back. Have you found the same?
Questions About The 2 5 1 Progression?
Do you have questions about this ii V I in all 12 keys cheat reference guide? Can you think of some cool ways of using the 2 5 1 chord progression reference guide above? Do you have any practice tips to recommend that I didn’t mention above?
Please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know! I look forward to helping.
Hi, Steve. Sure, the reeds and brass “home” keys are in play, but I think the real reason for the absence of sharp keys in jazz is the system of key signatures that progresses from C (no flats or sharps) in opposite directions until you get to “all notes sharped” (7 sharps, C#) or “all notes flatted” (7 flats, Cb). There are no keys like A#, D#, or E# because the 15-key-signature system doesn’t accommodate them. You run out of sharp keys soon after the “string” keys: G, D, A, E, and B. If chords are considered to be (however temporarily, in a jazz progression) formed from a major or minor diatonic scale, they would be named according to what the root of the chord is called in that scale, which uses each letter from A to G only once.
Interesting thoughts David and a great comment to add to the discussion. Thanks for sharing your view!
Hi boss. Pls I wud want to know how to apply the different modes while playing. Can u
pls break it down? Tank u
Steve, how do you balance the importance of playing every tune (or every exercise) in all 12 keys with the constraint that this will take you essentially 12 times as long as if you played in only 1 key (or 6 times as long as if you played it in 2 keys, etc…)?
That’s a great question Eduardo. Learning to play in all 12 keys gets faster and faster the more you practice this skill. The better you get at it the faster the process will go. Eventually you’ll be able to play many of the things you learn instantly in multiple keys. So, it may take you a little longer now but remember when you practice this skill you’re investing in your future development as a musician. It won’t always take you 12x as long. In fact it can be almost spontaneous the better you get at it.
You don’t have to take every single thing you learn in all 12 keys…you could narrow it down. Focusing more on the most useful patterns,licks, songs, or voicings, that you know you’ll absolutely use in different keys.
When I was in college I took so many things in all 12 keys because i had a ton of time. 8-14 hours a day to practice. If you have less just be more economical.
Hi Steve I’m an absolute beginner. Re practising the 2 5 1 do I practise with just the left hand, or both hands? Also, must the chords be played in sequence, or can/should they be played in any order of 2 – 5-1? If playing the chords with the left hand how can I make it sound more interesting with right-hand. For example could I take a tune by playing the melody from a Fake Book and co-ordinate this with a straight 2 5 1 chord? Apologies for such a basic question but I am a complete beginner.
Regards
George
Hey George! 1. Practice in both hands. 2. You can play them in any sequence but a 2-5-1 pattern is very useful since it’s such a popular chord progression. 3. Yes, you can play chords in the left hand and a melody in the right hand. Many tunes have 2-5-1’s in there. Try a tune like Autumn Leaves to get started or Satin Doll. Since I know you also own The Christmas Jazz Piano Super System DVD there are 2-5-1’s in every arrangement on that DVD. (Thanks for the purchase by the way!). So, that should get you started.
Should one transpose via harmonic analysis (aka this is the 2 5 of iii) or just count half steps down ( aka 2 half steps, c7 to Bb7)? I transpose with the former at home, but if a singer pulls out a new song in the practice room, and I have to change key quickly, would it be best to just do step counting method?
Thanks.
Hey Ryan,
I highly recommend you use the harmonic analysis method. In the short run it may be easier to count half steps but you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. if you practice seeing the patterns and transposition daily you’ll get faster and faster at it. Eventually you’ll be able to see the patterns instantaneously and you won’t have to count half steps. Counting half steps for every interval will end up being a crutch for you long term.
Hey Ryan,
Good question. You’ll want to keep those as sharps since B is a sharp key. So, your first inclination was correct.
Hi Steve – just received your email regarding the practicing of the 2-5-1 chords. You had also presented the 1-6-2-5-1 chords in the ZtoH course. Which do you consider more important? William
2 5 1 will be your first steps for sure!
Hi Norder,
Glad you asked. 🙂 If you wanna dig into this more deeply, check out freejazzlessons.wpsc.dev/premium. The section on chords deals exactly how you do it on minor keys.
How do I know when to play the ii-v-i chord progression? I play gospel by ear. Any advice?
Hi Elizabeth,
In jazz, the ii – V – I chord progression is everywhere. It’s a staple in jazz. Any time you play a jazz standard, you’re actually playing ii – V- I chord progressions. I would suggest studying your jazz standards to hear where those ii – V – I’s are. You would have to take note of the song’s form. What I mean is whenever you study a jazz tune, listen as to how many beats or bars does each particular chord occupy to know when to play them.
In a scale degree of e.g.. Key C I ii iii IV V e.g….What if in a progression of a song goes one I instead of (2) ii the chord is a D7 instead how is that written in a numerical number?
Hi Janet,
Any chord that has a major triad will use a capitalized roman numeral for roman numeral analysis. With your example, D7 is a II7 not a ii7 (since this means Dm7 in the key of C). Hope that helps. Thanks!