Each genre of music has characteristics that distinguish it from other musical styles. Familiar attributes can be found in the scale patterns, rhythms, and/or chord progressions. Three chords in Jazz music occur more than any other combination. They are referred to as “two. five, and one” and exist in all keys. If you play the ukulele and aspire to play jazz music this lesson will explain the: ii-V-I chords.

The Numbers
Sometimes musicians use a numbering system to identify chords. Using numbers in place the letter name allows students to learn general rules about chords. These rules (aka: Chord Theory) apply to chord groups in all twelve keys. So when you learn how to use a “two, five, one” in a key…you’re actually learning it for ALL the keys.

Each number refers to the note in the scale that the chord is based on. For example, if I took the notes of the C Major scale and numbered them in order I get the following:

Each time the scale reaches an Octave it repeats the cycle. If we need to number notes beyond the octave, then we just continue counting past the seventh note:

* NOT common. These revert back to number used in first Octave.

Building Chords
By definition as chord is a group of three or more notes played together. Any three note group is called a Triad. Many of the most common chords we first learn are basic triads.

Lets build a chord from the first note of the scale: C (or the ‘1’). This note names the chord and is called the Root. Now we’ll add the other two notes by skipping every other one. This is referred to as stacked thirds. The result is a chord that contains the notes: C-E-G (or ‘1-3-5’). The C Major chord built from the 1-3-5 of the C Major scale.

Stacking thirds from any note of the scale will give some type of chord. The chord is named after the first note of the triad. Roman numerals are used when referring to the chord by number. Arabic numbers are used when referring to the note of the scale.

Extra Notes
If we continue to stack thirds we get chords with more than three notes. The most common examples are the ‘seventh chords’ that we find in Jazz music. The same principles used for triads apply here, we just add an extra note.

The chart below shows four ways to play a common ii-V-I chord progression on the ukulele. Each row shows a ii-V-I in a different key (Bb Major, G Major, Eb Major, CMajor). Each row also contains a unique set of chord shapes that should be played played up (and down) the ukulele neck. Focus on one row at a time playing so you get use to the feel and sound of the chords.

1. Play white columns first from left to right.
This will produce the standard <span>ii-V-I.</span> Each row contains different ways to play this chord progression. Practice one row at a time moving it to different parts of the neck.

2. Next substitute one white-column chord with a grey-column chord.
a) | iim7b5 | V | I |
b) | ii | V7b9 | I |
c) | ii | V | IMaj9 |

2. Next substitute two white-column chords with a grey-column chords.
a) | iim7b5 | V7b9 | I |
b) | ii | V7b9 | IMaj9 |
c) | iim7b5 | V | IMaj9 |

3. Next play only the Gray Column chords.

4. Next plug in gray column chords in sequence between white column chords.
a) | ii | iimin7b5 | V | I |
b) | ii | V7b9 | V | I |
c) | ii | iimin7b5 | V7b9 | V | I |

5. Mix and match and experiment.