Now that you’ve worked through some long minor ii–V–I phrases, it’s time to put them into a musical context. Minor ii–V–Is tend to have a darker, more introspective quality, and when they’re stretched out over multiple bars, they give you plenty of space to explore tension, resolution, and color. The phrases you’ve just learned are designed to highlight those qualities and give you a solid foundation for navigating this sound world.

To help you connect these lines to real music, here’s a selection of tunes that feature long minor ii–V–I progressions. These tunes often sit in a minor key for extended periods, giving you time to stretch out and really say something with the vocabulary.

Some great examples of tunes with long minor ii–V–Is include:

• Beautiful Love

• Blue Bossa

• The Shadow of Your Smile

• Gentle Rain

• Autumn Leaves

Pick one or more of these to dig into alongside the phrases from this lesson. Listen closely for how the harmony unfolds and try to identify where the ii–V–I is happening in the minor key. Once you’ve got a tune under your fingers and feel confident applying the vocabulary in context, go ahead and move on to the next step.