3 Sweet Jazz Piano Chord Progressions
GET 21 SWEET CHORD PROGRESSIONS →
If you're looking for jazz piano chord progressions that actually sound good — you're in the right place.
Most players learn chords… but struggle to turn them into real music.
In this lesson, I’ll show you sweet, modern jazz chord progressions that will immediately make your playing sound richer, more sophisticated, and far less vanilla.
Jump to:
What are jazz chord progressions? →
Easy jazz chord progressions for beginners →
How to practice jazz chord progressions →
Jazz Chord Progression #1 →
Jazz Chord Progression #2 →
Jazz Chord Progression #3 →
More sweet jazz chord progressions →
21 additional chord progressions →
What are jazz chord progressions?
A jazz chord progression is a sequence of chords – usually 4 chords in a row, featuring 7ths – and sometimes 9ths, 11ths and 13ths.
In jazz, the most common progression is the ii–V–I — but modern jazz often goes beyond that, using modulation, tritone substitution, and advanced chord voicings.
The progressions on this page all sound sophisticated, while being simple enough to play right away.
Easy jazz chord progressions for beginners
If you're new to jazz piano, these progressions are a great starting point.
They use:
- simple 7th chords
- smooth voice leading
- small movements between chords
This means you can focus on how the chords sound, rather than getting stuck in theory.
How to practice jazz chord progressions
To get the most out of these progressions:
- Play them slowly in one key first
- Loop each progression until it feels natural
- Then move them through all 12 keys
👉 For a deeper approach, see:
How to practice the ii–V–I progression →
Jazz Chord Progression #1 (Glide progression)
The first progression starts on a C minor 7 chord, voiced as root–fifth–third–seventh.
Slide the left hand down a half step (C–G → B–F♯), while the right hand stays the same — this creates a B major 7 chord.
Continue the same movement:
C minor 7 → B major 7 → B♭ minor 7 → A major 7
This is a glide progression — where some notes move while others stay the same, creating smooth transitions between chords.
When you reach the A major 7, move up a major third to C♯ minor 7 (or extend it to a minor 9 or minor 11 for a richer sound).
You can also experiment by turning the A major 7 into an A dominant 7 for a slightly more gospel-style sound.
Jazz Chord Progression #2 (Modern minor progression)
This progression is in C minor and uses simple open voicings: root–fifth–third–seventh.
It moves:
F minor 7 → A♭ major 7 → C minor 7
Then introduces a twist:
B♭ major 7 (with a major 7 not found in the key)
That A natural over the B♭ chord creates a subtle modulation — briefly stepping outside the key before resolving back to A♭ major 7 → C minor 7.
This progression works because it blends diatonic chords with a small amount of tension, creating a more modern sound.
You can expand this further using minor 11 and major 11 voicings, or Kenny Barron-style voicings for a more advanced texture.
Jazz Chord Progression #3 (Modulation pattern)
This progression is a modulation pattern that takes you through all 12 keys.
Start on C minor:
C minor → D♭ major → F minor → G♭ major → B♭ minor...
Then keep repeating the pattern:
• Up a half step → major chord
• Up a major third → minor chord
For example:
C minor → D♭ major → F minor → G♭ major → B♭ minor → B major → …
This takes you smoothly through all 12 keys – until you arrive back at C minor.
For a richer sound, expand the chords into 7ths, 9ths, or fuller jazz voicings.
More Sweet Jazz Chord Progressions
Let's keep going...
Here's some more Jazz piano chord progressions I wrote.
Each one has a different style and character:
Progression 5. "Relaxed and Cool" (Cuban Montunos)
Progression 6. "Modern Blues Variation"
Progression 7. "Full of Tension"
Progression 8. Hip Hop Piano Melody
I've notated all 21 chord progressions as sheet music.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE SHEET MUSIC →
Progression 9. "16th Notes"
Progression 10. "Slow Reflections"
Progression 11. "Cool Jazz Piano Riff"
Progression 12. "Tritone Sub Through Many Keys"
Progression 13. "Descending in 3rds"
Progression 14. "Most Relaxed Chords (in the World)"
Want to take these progressions to the piano?
GET ALL 21 CHORD PROGRESSIONS →
Chord voicings are just as important as the progression itself. See my jazz piano chord voicings guide for a complete explanation.
21 Additional Chord Progressions
In addition, here’s my full lesson featuring 21 more sweet jazz chord progressions:
DOWNLOAD ALL 21 PROGRESSIONS →
Want to Understand Why These Chord Progressions Work?
Beautiful progressions become much easier to understand when you can see the theory behind them.
Jazz Theory Explained gives you a clear, organized guide to jazz chords, progressions, scales, extensions, voicings, and more—all in one 100-page ebook.
GET JAZZ THEORY EXPLAINED — $29 →
I’m Julian Bradley, founder of Jazz Tutorial.
What you get here is one clear teaching philosophy — not a mix of conflicting approaches.
Simple. Structured. No confusion.