Learn › Jazz Piano Chords and the ii-V-I in All 12 Keys

New Released in April 2026

Jazz Piano Chords and the ii-V-I in All 12 Keys

Jazz piano chords are mostly seventh chords and their extensions: major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th and half-diminished, coloured with 9ths, 11ths and 13ths. Jazz pianists rarely stack them in thirds; they spread them over two hands in voicings like shells, A and B forms and Drop 2. Below you can see them inside a ii-V-I, the most common progression in jazz, in all 12 keys.

Play the demo

No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.

MIDI keyboard
Digital or acoustic piano
Guitar
Computer, phone or tablet

ChordRunner on a tablet showing a Bbmaj7 chord block, next to an acoustic guitar, above a piano being played

The jazz piano chords you need

Twelve chord types cover almost every jazz standard. Learn their sound and their formula, and you can build each one in any key.

Chord	Formula	In C	Sound and job
Cmaj7 (Major 7th)	1 3 5 7	C E G B	Bright, settled: the home chord (I) in major keys.
Cm7 (Minor 7th)	1 b3 5 b7	C Eb G Bb	Soft and open: the ii chord of the ii-V-I.
C7 (Dominant 7th)	1 3 5 b7	C E G Bb	Tense, wants to move: the V chord that leads home.
Cm7b5 (Half-diminished (m7b5))	1 b3 b5 b7	C Eb Gb Bb	Dark tension: the ii chord in minor keys.
Cdim7 (Diminished 7th)	1 b3 b5 bb7	C Eb Gb Bbb	Symmetrical, restless: a passing chord between two others.
C6 (Major 6th)	1 3 5 6	C E G A	Sweet, old-school: an alternative to maj7 on the home chord.
Cmaj9 (Major 9th)	1 3 5 7 9	C E G B D	The maj7 with a 9th on top: lush, modern.
Cm9 (Minor 9th)	1 b3 5 b7 9	C Eb G Bb D	The m7 with a 9th: the classic smooth ii chord.
C9 (Dominant 9th)	1 3 5 b7 9	C E G Bb D	The dominant with a 9th: bluesy, funky.
C13 (Dominant 13th)	1 3 5 b7 9 11 13	C E G Bb D F A	The dominant with the 13th: the big-band V chord.
C7b9 (7b9)	1 3 5 b7 b9	C E G Bb Db	Altered dominant: extra pull towards a minor home chord.
C7#9 (7#9)	1 3 5 b7 #9	C E G Bb D#	Altered dominant with a sharp 9th: the blues-rock "Hendrix" chord.

Every key, every type: see the piano chord chart.

The ii-V-I: jazz piano chords in action

In C major the ii-V-I is Dm7, G7, Cmaj7: a minor 7th on the 2nd degree, a dominant 7th on the 5th, and home. Pick a key and a voicing: these are the exact shapes ChordRunner's practice keyboard shows.

Key

Chords

Voicing

Left hand Right hand One hand

ChordRunner on a laptop, a tablet and a phone, each showing a Cm7 chord block, above a piano being played

How jazz pianists voice these chords

Shell voicing: left hand root and 7th, right hand the 3rd and colour tones. The first voicing to learn: it already sounds like jazz.
A Form and B Form: root in the left hand, right hand from the 3rd (A) or from the 7th (B). Same notes, different order.
Drop 2 and Drop 3: one voice of the right hand moved down into the left hand, for a wider, more open sound.
Spread: left hand root and 5th, right hand from the 7th: big and orchestral.

Why alternate A and B forms

In a ii-V-I the 7th of each chord falls one step to the 3rd of the next: in C, the C of Dm7 moves to the B of G7, and the F of G7 moves to the E of Cmaj7. Alternating A and B forms keeps those notes in the same hand at the same height, so the changes glide instead of jumping. Try "A-B-A" above and watch the right hand barely move. Rootless versions, where the bass player covers the root, are in our guide to rootless voicings.

Jazz piano chords for beginners: where to start

Seventh chords first. Major 7th, minor 7th and dominant 7th in all 12 keys, as plain stacks, until you can name and play each one without counting (dominant 7th chords).
Shells in a ii-V-I. Play the progression above with shell voicings in every key, slowly.
A and B forms. Alternate them so the voice leading does the work.
Add colour. Switch the chords to 9ths and 13ths (m9, 13, maj9), then try the altered dominants, 7b9 and 7#9 (altered chords).
Take it to tunes. Most standards are chains of ii-V-I's in different keys: you now know the shapes, you just move them.

Practise jazz chords until your hands know them

ChordRunner is a browser game you control with a real instrument: a chord appears on screen, you play it, and your runner jumps.

The whole jazz vocabulary

Sevenths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, half-diminished and altered dominants, in all 12 keys.

Your voicing, accepted

Shells, A and B forms, Drop 2, rootless: if the chord's notes are there, it counts.

Your ii-V-I on loop

Type your own progression and it repeats in time until the changes are automatic. Play it on a MIDI keyboard or into the microphone.

Play jazz chords

Common questions

What are jazz piano chords?

Mostly seventh chords and their extensions: major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th and half-diminished, with 9ths, 11ths and 13ths added for colour and altered notes (b9, #9) on dominant chords. Jazz pianists usually spread them over two hands instead of stacking them in thirds.

What is a ii-V-I?

The most common progression in jazz: a minor 7th chord on the 2nd degree of the key, a dominant 7th on the 5th, and the major 7th home chord. In C major it is Dm7, G7, Cmaj7. Most standards are chains of ii-V-I progressions in different keys.

What is the difference between A Form and B Form voicings?

Both keep the root in the left hand. The A Form right hand starts from the 3rd (3-5-7-9), the B Form right hand from the 7th (7-9-3-5). Alternating them through a ii-V-I keeps the right hand almost still, because each 7th falls one step to the 3rd of the next chord.

What are the easiest jazz chords for beginners?

Start with the three seventh chords of the ii-V-I (minor 7th, dominant 7th, major 7th) played as shell voicings: root and 7th in the left hand, 3rd in the right. They are only three notes and already sound like jazz.

How do I practise jazz chords on piano?

Play a ii-V-I in all 12 keys, slowly, then faster. In ChordRunner you can type the progression and it loops in time while you play it on a MIDI keyboard or into your microphone, and any voicing of the right notes counts.

Your instrument is the controller.

ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.

Try the demo