I–vi–ii–V

The turnaround — a closing breath that starts over immediately.

Degrees: I–vi–ii–V
Mode: major
Bars: 4
In C major: Cmaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7

The progression in C major

In all twelve keys

The same degrees, shifted twelve times. To move a song into another key, read off the row.

Key	Imaj7	vi7	ii7	V7
C major	Cmaj7	Am7	Dm7	G7
G major	Gmaj7	Em7	Am7	D7
D major	Dmaj7	Bm7	Em7	A7
A major	Amaj7	F#m7	Bm7	E7
E major	Emaj7	C#m7	F#m7	B7
B major	Bmaj7	G#m7	C#m7	F#7
F major	Fmaj7	Dm7	Gm7	C7
Bb major	Bbmaj7	Gm7	Cm7	F7
Eb major	Ebmaj7	Cm7	Fm7	Bb7
Ab major	Abmaj7	Fm7	Bbm7	Eb7
Db major	Dbmaj7	Bbm7	Ebm7	Ab7
F# major	F#maj7	D#m7	G#m7	C#7

Why it sounds that way

The last two bars of a section, leading back to the beginning. From the sixth degree the roots fall in fifths to the dominant, which pulls to the tonic of the next chorus. In jazz it sits under almost every final phrase.

Where you hear it

I Got Rhythm — George Gershwin
Heart and Soul
Blue Moon

Related progressions

ii–V–IThe jazz cadence I–vi–IV–VThe fifties progression

Anotona does this for you

Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.

See Anotona

Every note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.