chordslol

Chord Progression

Rhythm Changes chord progression

a.k.a. 32-bar AABA

The Gershwin AABA form; basis of bebop heads.

jazzadvanced8 barsMajor mode15 keys

The shape

I — vi — ii — V — I — vi — ii — V

In real keys

The chords, key by key.

Built on the major scale, so it lives in the 15 major keys. Every chord below links to its own page — shapes on six instruments, audio, and the mistakes to avoid. Hit play to hear the whole cycle.

All 15 keys

Need a key that is not listed? Use the transposer.

Analysis

What each numeral is doing.

Roman numerals name a chord by its position in the key rather than by its letter, which is why one progression works in every key. Uppercase is major, lowercase is minor, ° is diminished, ø is half-diminished, and a leading ♭ lowers the root a semitone.

I

Tonic

Home. Everything is measured against it and everything wants to return to it.

vi

Submediant

The relative minor. Same notes as the tonic, opposite mood.

ii

Supertonic

The classic set-up chord — it leans on the dominant and rarely stands alone.

V

Dominant

Maximum tension. The leading tone inside it pulls hard back to the tonic.

Heard it before

Songs built on Rhythm Changes.

  • I Got Rhythm
  • Anthropology
  • Oleo

Why it works

The reason it sticks.

The Gershwin AABA form; basis of bebop heads. The memorable part is the motion: each chord pulls toward the next in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable, and the cycle closes cleanly enough that you can loop it for three minutes without anyone getting bored.

Once the Rhythm Changes pattern is in your ear you will start hearing it everywhere. That is not a coincidence — writers reach for it because the tension-and-release shape is doing the emotional work before the melody even arrives. Change the key and nothing about that changes; only the letters do.

Next

Related jazz progressions

ii-V-I (the Jazz Cadence)

ii — V — I

ii-V-I-VI (Turnaround)

ii — V — I — VI

Coltrane Changes (Major-3rd Cycles)

I — ♭III — V — VII — II

ii°-V-i (Minor ii-V-i)

iiø — V — i

FAQ

Questions people actually ask.

What is the Rhythm Changes Chord Progression?

Rhythm Changes is a progression built on the I, vi, ii, V, I, vi, ii, V scale degrees of any major key. The Gershwin AABA form; basis of bebop heads.

What are the Rhythm Changes chords in C Major?

In C Major the progression is C – Am – Dm – G – C – Am – Dm – G. The same shape transposes to all 15 major keys.

Which songs use the Rhythm Changes progression?

I Got Rhythm, Anthropology, Oleo all use the Rhythm Changes progression in some form.

Is the Rhythm Changes progression hard to play?

Difficulty: advanced. The 8-bar cycle repeats predictably, so once the chord shapes are under your fingers the progression flows on its own.

Can I transpose Rhythm Changes to another key?

Yes — that is the point of roman-numeral analysis. Every key on this page is the same progression; pick the one that suits your voice or your open chords.