As always, I want to make sure you’re connecting the vocabulary to real music as soon as possible. So I’ve included a list of tunes that feature short major ii–V–I progressions. These are perfect for putting the phrases into context and developing a real-world feel for how they work in action.

Here are some great tunes to explore that feature short major ii–V–Is:

• Joy Spring

• Star Eyes

• Four on Six

• God Bless the Child

• I Remember You

Pick one or two to work on while you’re internalizing the phrases from this section. Try to identify where the ii–V–Is happen in the tune, and then experiment with inserting some of the lines you’ve just learned. Over time, this will help you develop the instinct for when and how to use these phrases in your own solos.

Once you feel comfortable with these shorter ideas and you’ve got at least one of the tunes under your fingers, go ahead and move on to the next step.