Jazz TurnaroundChord progression · I – vi – ii – V7
Classic jazz and pop turnaround — vi and ii set up the V7 pull.
In C major
Why the Jazz Turnaround progression works
A turnaround is a short loop that carries you back to I at the end of a section. After I, each chord root drops a fifth (vi, ii, V, then I), the strongest way chords can fall. Each one leans into the next, so it tips downhill into home.
Songs built on it, each in its own key:
- I Got Rhythm (the opening bars)
- Blue Moon
Heard in: Pop balladDiscoSoulGospelSwing and standardsBossa nova
How to play Jazz Turnaround in C major
One voicing per chord, each the nearest to the chord before, so your hand stays in one spot. Open any chord in the chord library for every other way to play it.
Jazz Turnaround chords in all 12 keys
The same numerals in every key. Each chord opens in the chord library, and each key plays in the progression builder.
What scale to play over Jazz Turnaround
Over the whole progression in C major: C Major, C Major pentatonic. To follow every chord, switch to the scale the progression builder picks for it.
| Chord | Scale over it |
|---|---|
| I · C | C Major |
| vi · Am | A Natural minor |
| ii · Dm | D Dorian |
| V7 · G7 | G Mixolydian |
Jazz Turnaround questions
What are the chords of the Jazz Turnaround progression?
I – vi – ii – V7. In C major that is C, Am, Dm, G7; in G major it is G, Em, Am, D7.
Which songs use the Jazz Turnaround progression?
I Got Rhythm (the opening bars) and Blue Moon, each in its own key.
What scale do you play over the Jazz Turnaround progression?
C Major and C Major pentatonic fit the whole progression in C major. Chord by chord: C Major over C, A Natural minor over Am, D Dorian over Dm, G Mixolydian over G7.
How do you play the Jazz Turnaround progression in another key?
Keep the numerals and move every chord by the same distance. The table on this page spells it in all 12 keys, and each key opens in the progression builder.