Functional Box II — ii-V-I from the seventh

The voice-leading table

Each row is a complete ii-V-I cycle voiced from the seventh. The IIm7 stays put; the V7 and I rotate through a different alteration each line.

A note on the diminished scale

The diminished scale alternates whole and half steps — W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H. It contains four diminished seventh chords stacked a minor third apart, and four dominant ♭9 chords starting from the off-beat notes. This is why a single dim7♭9 voicing covers four dominants at once: the chord shape implies any of four roots.

When you see a dim7 chord in a chart, try voicing it as the dominant ♭9 a half step below — the upper-structure shape is identical. This trick is what makes diminished passing chords sound like substitutes for V7♭9 rather than novelties.

Practice routine

1. Pick a key. In C major, the ii-V-I is Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7.
2. Voice IIm7 from the seventh — Dm7 = C–E–F–A (♭7–9–♭3–5).
3. Walk to row 1: G7 = B–E–F–A (3–13–♭7–9). Notice three of four notes are unchanged.
4. Land Cmaj7 = B–C–E–G (7–1–3–5).
5. Repeat through every key in the cycle. By the time you can do all twelve, the shapes are in your fingers.

Try it in a tool

Use the Chord Finder to spell any V7 alteration you want to try in this table. Run the cycle on the Chord Drill with a click.