Jazz Chord Cycles

Diatonic Chord Progressions

When attempting to learn a key (also called tonality), I find it's important to learn as much material from it as possible : intervals, triads, seventh chords, "triads over bass" chords and other relationships.

If you didn't do so already, please read and play through The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick.

A great "formal" way of learning all the seventh chords (and triads) present in a key is going through cycles : they consist of systematic root movements covering all the chords of the key.

As far as seventh chord, goes the key of C major contains :

The motion of this progression is "cycle 2" because each new chord is a diatonic second up from the previous one...

The question is :

In how many "patterns" could we play
those same chords from above?

Six !!!

We have cycle 2 (above), cycle 3, cycle 4, cycle 5, cycle 6 and cycle 7.

So, here's a reference chart for diatonic jazz chord cycles :

[Make sure you also check out NON-diatonic jazz chord cycles]

Cycle 2
as seen in this article

C major
Cmaj7
Dm7
Em7
Fmaj7
G7
Am7
Bm7(b5)
Cmaj7

C melodic minor
Cm(maj7) - Dm7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - F7 - G7 - Am7(b5) - Bm7(b5) - Cm(maj7)

C harmonic minor
Cm(maj7) - Dm7b5 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Fm7 - G7 - Abmaj7 - Bdim7 - Cm(maj7)

Cycle 3

C major
Cmaj7
Em7
G7
Bm7(b5)
Dm7
Fmaj7
Am7
Cmaj7

C melodic minor
Cm(maj7) - Ebmaj7(#5) - G7 - Bm7(b5) - Dm7 - F7 - Am7(b5) - Cm(maj7)

C harmonic minor
Cm(maj7) - Ebmaj7(#5) - G7 - Bdim7 - Dm7b5 - Fm7 - Abmaj7 - Cm(maj7)

Cycle 4 as seen in this article

C major
Cmaj7
Fmaj7
Bm7(b5)
Em7
Am7
Dm7
G7
Cmaj7

C melodic minor
Cm(maj7) - F7 - Bm7(b5) - Ebmaj7(#5) - Am7(b5) - Dm7 - G7 - Cm(maj7)

C harmonic minor
Cm(maj7) - Fm7 - Bdim7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Abmaj7 - Dm7b5 - G7 - Cm(maj7)

Cycle 5 (negative cycle 4)

C major
Cmaj7
G7
Dm7
Am7
Em7
Bm7(b5)
Fmaj7
Cmaj7

C melodic minor
Cm(maj7) - G7 - Dm7 - Am7(b5) - Ebmaj7(#5) - Bm7(b5) - F7 - Cm(maj7)

C harmonic minor
Cm(maj7) - G7 - Dm7b5 - Abmaj7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Bdim7 - Fm7 - Cm(maj7)

Cycle 6 (negative cycle 3)

C melodic minor
Cm(maj7) - Am7(b5) - F7 - Dm7 - Bm7(b5) - G7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Cm(maj7)

C harmonic minor
Cm(maj7) - Abmaj7 - Fm7 - Dm7b5 - Bdim7 - G7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Cm(maj7)

Cycle 7 (negative cycle 2)

C major
Cmaj7
Bm7(b5)
Am7
G7
Fmaj7
Em7
Dm7
Cmaj7

C melodic minor
Cm(maj7) - Bm7(b5) - Am7(b5) - G7 - F7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Dm7 - Cm(maj7)

C harmonic minor
Cm(maj7) - Bdim7 - Abmaj7 - G7 - Fm7 - Ebmaj7(#5) - Dm7b5 - Cm(maj7)

Points to Keep in Mind

• Practice the diatonic jazz chord cycles in different keys!
• See if you can memorize the diatonic cycle you're working on.
• Chords can have different duration (1 bar each, 2 bars each, etc.)
• By all means, use the metronome,, at least sometimes. See this video to learn how to use it for swing 4/4 tempos.
• The cycles can be used in different time signatures.
• Practice diatonic cycles in different voicings (drop2 and drop3).
• Try to voicelead each diatonic cycle (in drop2 and drop3).
• Remove one note from each chord to get just the diatonic triads.