Ii-V-I Turnaround

The ii-V-I turnaround, ii-V-I progression, or ii V I, also known as the dominant cadence, is a common cadential chord progression used in a wide variety of music genres, especially jazz harmony. It is a succession of chords whose roots descend in fifths from the second degree, or supertonic, to the fifth degree, or dominant, and finally to the tonic. In a major key, the supertonic (ii) triad is minor, while in a minor key, this triad is diminished. The dominant chord is, in its most basic form, a major triad and, commonly, a dominant seventh chord. With the addition of chord alterations, substitutions, and extensions (most often sevenths), limitless variations exist on this simple formula.

ii-V-I has been used for a hundred years and is currently "a staple of virtually every type of popular music," including jazz, R&B, pop, rock, and country. Examples include "Honeysuckle Rose" (1928), which, "features several bars in which the harmony goes back and forth between the II and V chords before finally resolving on the I chord," "Satin Doll" (1953), "Rocky Raccoon", and "Sunday Morning".