Cadenzaii–V–I · E♭ major
Fm7 – B♭7 – E♭maj7
The ii–V–I is the sentence jazz is written in. Fm7 is the ii of E♭ major, B♭7 is its V, and E♭maj7 is home. Most standards are strings of these, in one key after another — “Autumn Leaves” is built from them almost bar for bar.
Shells — the left hand
Root, 3rd and 7th: the three notes that say what a chord is. Every jazz pianist learns these first.
Fm7 ii · shell
1 · ♭3 · ♭7
B♭7 V · shell
1 · ♭7 · 3
E♭maj7 I · shell
1 · 3 · 7
Rootless voicings — the ones on the records
No root at all — the bass player has it — and the colour notes added instead. Watch how little the hand moves.
Fm9 ii · rootless
♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
B♭13 V · rootless
♭7 · 9 · 3 · 13
E♭maj9 I · rootless
3 · 5 · 7 · 9
Why it works
Each 7th falls a half step to become the next chord’s 3rd: the ♭7 of Fm7 slides down to the 3rd of B♭7, and the ♭7 of B♭7 slides down to the 3rd of E♭maj7. That is why the shells above move so little, and why the rootless voicings barely move at all.
Play it. See every name.
The free chord finder names whatever you play — on a MIDI keyboard, with the mouse or on your computer keys — with the same engine as Cadenza.
Or let the app follow you.
Cadenza names every chord you play, live, with the degree over each key — and writes what you played as sheet music. The core is free forever, on Mac and Windows.