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JolyMusic Theory Lab
Best Jazz Cadences to Practice in All Keys
Practice the essential jazz cadence families in every key with clear function.
Published May 29, 2026, 8:44 AM
Practice the essential jazz cadence families in every key with clear function.
Jazz cadences are reusable hearing patterns. Practicing them in all keys gives you more than vocabulary: it teaches the ear how pressure resolves in different harmonic dialects. Start with a few core cadences and make each one sound clear before expanding the substitutions.
Practice List
Cadences are grammar, not licks
StudentJazz Harmony
A cadence explains how a phrase closes, turns around, or avoids closure. Practice the function before decorating the voicing.
Coreii-V-I
Minorii half-diminished - V7alt - i
ColorBackdoor ivm7 - bVII7 - I
SubstitutionbII7 - I
Cadence checklist
| Cadence | In C | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Major ii-V-I | Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 | Direct functional arrival |
| Minor ii-V-i | Dm7b5 G7alt Cm6 | Darker dominant release |
| Backdoor | Fm7 Bb7 Cmaj7 | Soft plagal-dominant color |
| Tritone sub | Dm7 Db7 Cmaj7 | Chromatic bass slide |
| Turnaround | Cmaj7 A7 Dm7 G7 | Looping phrase engine |
Exercise
One cadence, three textures
StudentPractice Routine
Play each cadence as shell voicings, close-position four-note voicings, and a single-line arpeggio. The function should remain audible in every texture.
Keys12
TexturesShell, full voicing, line
Tempo60 BPM
Levelintermediate
When a cadence is truly learned, you can transpose it, simplify it, ornament it, and still hear where it wants to land.