The First ii-V-I Line to Learn on Jazz Guitar (Plus 7 Variations)

Short answer: The first ii-V-I line to learn in C goes F E D C over D-7, B A♭ G F over G7(♭9), and lands on E over CMaj.7. It's a good first line because it holds the core principles of jazz lines in nine notes: the 7th of the ii chord (C) resolves down a half step to the 3rd of the V chord (B), the line moves in one direction until it resolves, and chord tones land on the downbeats. Once you have it, change the ending to resolve to different notes (enclosures, octave jumps, a delayed resolution) so you learn the shape of the line, not just one lick.

This is a beginner-to-intermediate lesson, but it's a good refresher for advanced players too. Practicing it in every position, I found myself understanding some fundamental things better. ▶ 1:09

What is a ii-V-I?

A ii-V-I is a chord progression named after the scale degrees its chords are built on. In the key of C major: ▶ 1:42

"Stacking in 3rds" just means skipping every other note of the scale. The ii-V-I comes up all the time in jazz standards. ▶ 2:19

"Making the changes"

One of the big differences between jazz soloing and blues or rock soloing is that jazz players try to make the changes: the notes in the solo follow, or outline, the differences from one chord to the next. D-7 and G7 share some notes, so you want to emphasize the ones that change. ▶ 3:29

The line

Over D-7, start on the 3rd, F, and go down the scale: F E D C, four eighth notes. Over G7(♭9): B A♭ G F. Then resolve to E, the 3rd of CMaj.7. ▶ 4:17

In the video it's in 3rd position (the tab starts at the 6th fret of the B string). ▶ 5:10

Principle 1: 7th-to-3rd voice leading

The 7th of D-7 (C) resolves down a half step to the 3rd of G7 (B). That's 7th-to-3rd voice leading, and in a ii-V-I it always resolves by half step. It outlines the changes so well that you almost hear the chords just from the line: there's a sense that the harmony moves from D-7 to G7 at the moment the line goes from C to B. The line then does the same thing into C major, landing on E, the 3rd. ▶ 4:20

Look for this in the lines you transcribe, and build your own lines around it. ▶ 5:10

Principle 2: give the line one direction

A lot of beginning soloists struggle with the direction of their lines. This whole line keeps going one way (down) until it resolves. A line that keeps moving in one direction until it resolves feels like it has a purpose. Going back and forth, up and down, it doesn't. ▶ 6:28

All of these principles have exceptions, and the masters break them because they know them. This is the foundation. ▶ 7:00

The 7 variations

All eight versions start with the same four notes over D-7. What changes is what happens over G7 and where the line resolves. ▶ 7:35

Variation 1: a bebop enclosure into the 5th

Instead of resolving to E, enclose the 5th of C, G. You hit the same B, go to A♭, then come up from F into the G. It's called an enclosure because the last notes surround the target: you go above it, then below it, then hit it. It's very common bebop language over a ii-V-I. ▶ 8:08

This is where you start to get a feel for controlling where a line resolves. A lot of beginners think they have to plug a line into the ii-V-I exactly as they learned it in the practice room. Learn the line, its shape and its direction, but also learn how to change it to resolve to the 3rd, or to the 5th. ▶ 8:11

Variations 2 and 3: octave displacement

Take the A♭ and move it up an octave, then continue the line down. You still resolve to the 3rd, but to the high E instead of the low one. That's how you can move higher in a line from the same starting point. Variation 3 combines the octave jump with the enclosure, so it lands on the 5th. ▶ 9:23

Variation 4: tension and release

Same four notes, but over G7 go B, D, F, A♭ and resolve to G. ▶ 10:31

The principle: when you solo, you're controlling the tension you create over the dominant chord, and directing where it resolves by the note you end on. Tension and release applies to soloing in every genre. It's one reason soloing over a standard with just the major scale doesn't sound that good: there isn't enough tension, and adding chromatic notes gives you tension that can then resolve. ▶ 11:07

Variation 5: delayed resolution

Add the bebop enclosure to variation 4. Now the G doesn't land on the downbeat; it comes in a beat later than expected. That's delayed resolution, and it's super common in bebop language. ▶ 12:04

Variations 6 and 7: a big leap down

Instead of going up to the higher D after the B, go down to the lower D, then F, A♭ and G. Big interval leaps are common in bebop, and this gets you fingerings for them. 6ths are a little awkward on guitar (maybe not as tricky as 4ths, where you have to roll your fingers), so practice the right fingering. Variation 7 adds the bebop enclosure. ▶ 12:50

Think in shapes, not licks

So there are eight variations of one line shape. Don't think of it as one nine-note line. Think of the shape: where it starts, where it resolves, and the options in between (low E, high E, the G). You can do that once you're comfortable with the principles underneath it: 7ths moving to 3rds by half step, tension and release, octave displacement and bebop enclosures. ▶ 13:28

Principle 3: strong chord tones on strong beats

Count the line in eighth notes and look at which notes land on the downbeats, measured against the chord at that moment: ▶ 14:02

The underlying structure is 3rd, root, 3rd, root, 3rd. The other notes are passing notes that carry you into the next chord tone. ▶ 15:08

When you start building lines, put strong chord tones (the notes of the triad or the full chord: D F A C, G B D F, C E G B) on the strong beats. There are a lot of exceptions, but it's how you start hearing why lines sound the way they do, and how to sound like you're playing the changes. ▶ 15:17

The PDF for this lesson has the line in all five positions: get the ii-V-I line PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important ii-V-I line to learn first on jazz guitar?

In C: F E D C over D-7, B A♭ G F over G7(♭9), resolving to E over CMaj.7. It's a good first line because it contains 7th-to-3rd voice leading, one clear direction, and chord tones on the downbeats.

What is 7th-to-3rd voice leading?

In a ii-V-I, the 7th of each chord resolves down a half step to the 3rd of the next one. In C, the C of D-7 moves to the B of G7, and the F of G7 moves to the E of CMaj.7. Playing that motion in a line makes the chord changes audible.

What is a bebop enclosure?

An enclosure surrounds a target note: you play a note above it, then below it, then the target. In this lesson the line goes A♭, then F and F♯, into G, the 5th of C major.

How do I stop my ii-V-I lines from sounding like memorized licks?

Learn the shape of a line, then practice changing its ending: resolve to the 3rd, enclose the 5th, move a note up an octave, or delay the resolution by a beat. This one line gives you eight versions.

Should chord tones land on the downbeats?

At first, yes. Put the notes of the chord (like D F A C for D-7) on strong beats and use the other notes to pass between them. It's how you start to sound like you're playing the changes. There are many exceptions once you know the rule.

Keep learning

• How to play over ii-V-I progressions without memorizing licks: another way to build ii-V-I lines, starting from the resolution
• How Joe Pass creates jazz lines with scarpeggios: mixing scale steps and arpeggios over a ii-V
• Two shapes for every scale and arpeggio (Corey Christiansen): fingerings for playing this line in other positions

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