Learning jazz language is one of the most important things we can do as jazz musicians. Learning licks, or little musical phrases and ideas, can be a great way to learn vocabulary and help you navigate chord changes.
The I-VI-ii-V-I chord progression is quite popular in jazz. Probably the most common form where you see this progression come up is in rhythm changes tunes.
You can also check out our 12 ii-V-I licks and 8 minor ii-V-i licks.
Eight I-Vi-ii-V-I Licks PDFs:
Eight I-VI-ii-V-I Licks (Bass Clef)
Practice tips:
- Play through each one several times to hear how they sound.
- Find one you particularly like and practice it in all 12 keys starting from the original key. This will help you internalize the sounds and connect them with your instrument.
- Once youāve completed that process, take a couple more of them through all 12 keys, and then diligently practice them for an extended period of time. Repetition is key and practicing over longer periods of time will help them become second nature!
- Learn other I-VI-ii-V-I licks from recordings you like, or come up with your own.