The ii–V–I cadence

Concept

ii-V-I is the most important progression in jazz and shows up everywhere in pop too. In C: Dm-G-C. Each chord pulls strongly to the next: ii sets up V via a 4th up, V resolves to I via a 5th down. With 7ths added (Dm7-G7-Cmaj7) it becomes the classic jazz sound.