{{Short description|Type of chord progression}} {{lowercase title}}__NOTOC__In music, the '''vi–ii–V–I progression''' is a chord progression (also called the '''circle progression''' for the circle of fifths, along which it travels). A vi–ii–V–I progression in C major (with inverted chords) is shown below.<ref>Andrews, William G; Sclater, Molly (2000). ''Materials of Western Music Part 1'', p.226. {{ISBN|1-55122-034-2}}.</ref> {{block indent|<score sound="1"> { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c { \clef bass \time 4/4 <c e a>1_\markup { \concat { \translate #'(-4 . 0) { "C: vi" \raise #1 \small "6" \hspace #6.5 "ii" \hspace #5 "V" \raise #1 \small "6" \hspace #6.5 "I" } } } <d f a> <b d g> <c e g> } } </score>}}
It is "undoubtedly the most common and the strongest of all harmonic progressions" and consists of "adjacent roots in ascending fourth or descending fifth relationship", with movement by ascending perfect fourth being equivalent to movement by descending perfect fifth due to inversion.<ref name="B&S">Bruce Benward and Marilyn Nadine Saker, ''Music In Theory and Practice'', seventh edition, 2 vols. + 2 sound discs (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003) 1:178. {{ISBN|978-0-07-294262-0}}.</ref> For instance, in C major, the chords are Am–Dm–G–C, which have roots that descend by perfect fifth (or ascend by fourth).<ref name="Materials">William G Andrews and Molly Sclater (2000). ''Materials of Western Music Part 1'', p.227. {{ISBN|1-55122-034-2}}.</ref>
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== Examples == Examples of vi–ii–V–I are shown below.
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[[File:Mozart - Sonata, K.545.png|thumb|A vi–ii–V–I chord progression in Mozart's Sonata, K. 545.<ref name="Materials" /> {{audio|Mozart - Sonata, K.545.mid|Play}}.|alt=|354x354px|none]] {{col-2}}
[[File:Bach - WTC I, Prelude in F-sharp Major vi-ii-V-I.png|thumb|450x450px|A vi–ii–V–I progression in J.S. Bach's ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'' Book I, Prelude in F{{music|#}} major.<ref>Jonas, Oswald (1982). ''Introduction to the Theory of Heinrich Schenker'', p.26 (1934: ''Das Wesen des musikalischen Kunstwerks: Eine Einführung in Die Lehre Heinrich Schenkers''). Trans. John Rothgeb. {{ISBN|0-582-28227-6}}.</ref> {{audio|Bach - WTC I, Prelude in F-sharp Major vi-ii-V-I.mid|Play}}|alt=|none]] {{col-2}} {{col-end}}
Pop songs that include the vi–ii–V–I progression include Weezer's "Island in the Sun" and Talk Talk's "It's My Life".
==I−vi−ii−V==<!--I-vi-ii-V and I−vi−ii−V redirect directly here--> {{main|ii–V–I turnaround}}
{{Image frame|content=<score sound="1"> { \new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \relative c' { \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 r4 <b d e g>2 <c e g a>4 <f a c>4. <f a b d>8~ <f a b d>2 } >> \new Staff << \relative c { \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4 c2_\markup { \concat { \translate #'(-4 . 0) { "C: I" \raise #1 \small "Δ7" \hspace #2 "vi" \raise #1 \small "7" \hspace #5 "ii" \raise #1 \small "7" \hspace #2 "V" \raise #1 \small "7" } } } a2 d4. g,8~ g2 \bar "||" } >> >> } </score>|width=300|caption=A I–vi–ii–V chord progression in C major.<ref name=":0" />}}
'''I−vi−ii−V''' is one of the most common chord progressions in jazz.<ref name=":0" /> The progression is often used<ref>{{Cite book | last = Moore | first = Alan F. | title = The Cambridge Companion to Blues and Gospel Music | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 2002 | location = Cambridge, UK | chapter = XII | page = [https://archive.org/details/cambridgecompani00moor/page/n153 126] | url = https://archive.org/details/cambridgecompani00moor | url-access = registration }}</ref> as a turnaround, occurring as the last two bars of a chorus or section.<ref name="GROVE">{{Citation|last=Strunk|first=Steven|title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz;|volume=2nd Edition|year=2007|editor-last=Kernfeld|editor-first=Barry|contribution=Harmony|place=New York|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> The I−vi−ii−V chord progression occurs as a two-bar pattern in the A section of the rhythm changes,<ref>{{Cite book | last = DeVeaux | first = Scott Knowles | title = The Birth of Bebop: a Social and Musical History | publisher = University of California Press | year = 1997 | location = Berkeley | page = [https://archive.org/details/birthofbebopsoci00dever/page/310 310] | isbn = 9780520205796 | url = https://archive.org/details/birthofbebopsoci00dever | url-access = registration }}</ref> the progression based on George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". It can be varied as well: according to Mark Levine, "[t]oday's players usually play a dominant 7th chord rather than a minor 7th chord as the VI chord in a I-VI-II-V."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Jazz Theory Book|url=https://archive.org/details/jazztheorybook00levi|url-access=registration|last=Levine|first=Mark|publisher=Sher Music Co.|year=1995|isbn=1883217040|location=Petaluma, CA|pages=[https://archive.org/details/jazztheorybook00levi/page/n42 25]|oclc=34280067}}</ref>
In the jazz minor scale, the diatonic progression below is possible.<ref>Arnold, Bruce E. (2001). ''Music Theory Workbook for Guitar: Scale Construction'', p.12. {{ISBN|978-1-890944-53-7}}.</ref>
:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; width:150px;" | width="50%" |i<sup>M7</sup> vi{{music|halfdim}}<sup>7</sup> | width="50%" |ii<sup>7</sup> V+<sup>7</sup> |- |Cm<sup>M7</sup> Am<sup>7{{music|b}}5</sup> |Dm<sup>7</sup> G<sup>7{{music|b}}13</sup> |} :{{audio|Jazz minor scale diatonic chord progression.mid|Play}}
==I−IV−vii°−iii−vi−ii−V−I progression== The circle progression is commonly a succession through all seven diatonic chords of a diatonic scale by fifths, including one progression by diminished fifth, (in C: between F and B) and one diminished chord (in C major, B{{music|dim}}), returning to the tonic at the end. A full circle of fifths progression in C major is shown below. {{block indent|<score sound="1"> {
\new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \stemUp e2 f d e c d b c } \new Voice \relative c' { \stemDown c2 c b b a a g g } >> \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c' { \clef bass \time 4/4 \stemUp g2 a f g e f d e } \new Voice \relative c { \stemDown c_\markup { \concat { \translate #'(-4 . 0) { "C: I" \hspace #2.8 "IV" \hspace #3 "vii" \raise #1 \small "o" \hspace #1.5 "iii" \hspace #3.2 "vi" \hspace #2.5 "ii" \hspace #3.8 "V" \hspace #3 "I" } } } f, b e, a d, g c, } >> >> } </score>}}
Shorter progressions may be derived from this by selecting certain specific chords from the progression through all seven diatonic chords.<ref name="B&S"/> The ii–V–I turnaround lies at the end of the circle progression, as does the vi–ii–V–I progression of root movement by descending fifths, which establishes tonality and also strengthens the key through the contrast of minor and major.<ref name="Materials" />
In a minor key, the progression is '''i–iv–VII–III–VI–ii°–V–i'''.
==See also== *Approach chord *Predominant chord *Dominant (music) *Extended dominant *Ragtime progression - V<sup>7</sup>/vi–V<sup>7</sup>/ii–V<sup>7</sup>/V–V<sup>7</sup>–I *Tadd Dameron turnaround *Royal road progression - IV–V–iii–vi
==Sources== {{reflist}}
{{Chord progressions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vi-ii-V-I Progression}}
Category:Major-key chord progressions