Voice Leading Explorer
See how individual chord tones move between chords. Good voice leading means small, smooth movements; common tones stay, other voices step to the nearest note.
Key
Progression
ii – V – I in C
Voice movement: Dm → G
Dm — ii
About This Progression
The most important jazz progression. Each transition shares one common tone, and the other voices move by step, textbook smooth voice leading.
Common Tones
Notes shared between adjacent chords stay in place. The more common tones, the smoother the transition. Look for the green "common tone" labels above.
Step Movement
Voices that do move should travel the shortest possible distance, ideally 1 or 2 semitones. Large jumps (3+ semitones) are less smooth but sometimes necessary.
On Guitar
Voice leading on guitar means choosing chord voicings where your fingers move as little as possible between shapes. Triads on adjacent string sets make this practical.
Legend