The Minor ii–V–i

In C minor

Dø7 – G7 – Cm — noir, weighted, unresolved even when it resolves, around 112 BPM.

1. Bar 1 iim7b5 Dø7
   D · F · Ab · C
   ▶ Hear it
2. Bar 2 V7 G7
   G · B · D · F
   ▶ Hear it
3. Bar 3 i Cm
   C · Eb · G
   ▶ Hear it

Why it works

The ii chord becomes half-diminished because the sixth degree of minor sits a semitone lower, flattening its fifth. The V stays dominant, which requires raising the seventh degree of the key — so the progression borrows from harmonic minor for exactly one chord. That combination puts two different versions of the sixth and seventh degrees inside three bars, which is why the minor ii–V–i sounds more unstable than its major counterpart even at rest.

Where you'll hear it

Minor standards and most jazz ballads. The V7 is where alterations live — flat nine and sharp nine both sit naturally over it because they are already in the key.

iiø7–V7–i in every key

The same progression transposed. The roman numerals never change — that is the whole point of writing progressions this way.

Related progressions

• iim7–V7–Imaj7 The ii–V–I Progression
• iim7–V7–Imaj7–IVmaj7–viiø7–III7–vim7 The Relative Minor Cycle
• i7–iv7–i7–V7 The Minor Blues