(MED. SWING ♩=80)
10

Jazz Piano · The Minor Mode

Minor ii–V–i

Half-diminished ii, dominant V, minor i — twelve keys

The minor mode reshapes the ii–V–I in three small ways. The ii becomes a half-diminished chord (m7♭5), since the natural minor's 6th degree (the ♭5 of the ii chord) is a half step lower than the major's. The V stays dominant 7, since the harmonic minor's raised 7th gives it the major 3rd it needs to function as a true V. And the i is a m7 chord instead of a maj7.

The shells overlap almost perfectly with the major-key shells: a m7♭5 has the same 3 + ♭7 as a regular m7 (the ♭5 isn't in the shell), and the V7 is identical in either mode. The difference is the resolution — both shell voices land a half step lower than they would in major (♭3 where major had 3, ♭7 where it had 7), so the cadence moves two voices at once where the major moved one. Same alternating A/B pattern everywhere else.

ii (m7♭5)

Shell = 3 + ♭7. The ♭5 lives in the chord name.

V7 to i

Dominant resolves down a 5th; both shell voices land a half step lower than in major.

01

Cm minor

C m 7 1 3 1 2 1 X 3fr X X 8fr D ø 3 2 1 O O O G 7
02

Fm minor

F m 7 1 3 1 1 1 1 G ø X X C 7 3 2 4 1 O O
03

B♭m minor

B m 7 1 3 1 2 1 X C ø X X 6fr F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1
04

E♭m minor

E m 7 1 2 3 4 X X F ø X X 11fr B 7 1 2 1 3 1 X
05

A♭m minor

A m 7 1 3 1 1 1 1 4fr B ø X X 4fr E 7 1 3 2 4 X X
06

D♭m minor

D m 7 4 2 1 X O O E ø X X 9fr A 7 1 3 1 2 1 1 4fr
07

F♯m minor

F m 7 1 3 1 1 1 1 G ø X X 2fr 2 3 1 4 X X C 7
08

Bm minor

B m 7 1 3 1 2 1 X X X 7fr C ø F 7 1 3 1 2 1 1
09

Em minor

E m 7 2 O O O O O X X 12fr F ø B 7 2 1 3 4 X O
10

Am minor

A m 7 2 1 X O O O X X 5fr B ø E 7 2 1 O O O O
11

Dm minor

D m 7 2 1 1 X X O X X 10fr E ø A 7 1 3 X O O O
12

Gm minor

G m 7 1 3 1 1 1 1 3fr A ø X X 3fr D 7 2 1 3 X X O

Same architecture, different roof. Land the resolution a half step lower and the whole story tilts.

80 bpm
Sound