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(Redirected from Backdoor cadence) Jazz chord progression

In jazz and jazz harmony, the chord progression from iv to ♭VII to I (the tonic or "home" chord) has been nicknamed the backdoor progression or the backdoor ii-V, as described by jazz theorist and author Jerry Coker. This name derives from an assumption that the normal progression to the tonic, the ii-V-I turnaround (ii-V to I, see also authentic cadence) is, by inference, the "front door", a metaphor suggesting that this is the main route to the tonic.

The ♭VII chord, a pivot chord borrowed from the parallel minor of the current tonic major key, is a dominant seventh. Therefore, it can resolve to I; it is commonly preceded by IV going to iv, then ♭VII, then I. In C major the dominant would be G: (the notes GBDF), sharing two common tones with B♭: (the notes B♭DFA♭). The notes A♭ and F serve as upper leading-tones back to G and E (when the chord moves to the tonic, C major), respectively, rather than B♮ and F serving as the lower and upper leading-tones to C and E in a conventional G7-C major (V7-I) cadence.

A backdoor IV-V is also possible, moving from ♭VI to ♭VII to I. This is also commonly known as "Mario Cadence".

Alternative usage

The term "Backdoor" has been used by author Shelton Berg to refer to another entirely unrelated progression. The unexpected modulation created through the substitution of the highly similar I for iii (in C: CEGBD and EGBD) at the end of the ii-V turnaround to a tonicized iii (ii/iii=♯iv, V/iii=VII, iii), arrives at 'home' (the temporary tonic of iii) through unexpected means, the 'back door' instead of the 'front door'(iii, the individual notes EGBD, being entirely contained within I, the individual notes of the C major chord, CEGBD, and the seventh of the dominant seventh chord still resolving downward). The resolution of a dominant seventh chord up a step (in this case a half-step, also called a semitone) is called a deceptive cadence.

References

Coker, Jerry (1997). Elements of the Jazz Language for the Developing Improvisor, p.82. ISBN 1-57623-875-X. "Back Door Progression As A Substitute For V7 The I chord, in a given progression, is often preceded by IV-7 to ♭VII7, instead of the usual V7 chord.".
Juusela, Kari (2015). The Berklee Contemporary Dictionary of Music, unpaginated. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9781495028540. "back-door cadence: A IVmi7 ♭VII7 I harmonic cadence."
Lavengood, Megan (July 1, 2021). "Open Music Theory: Modal Schemas" – via viva.pressbooks.pub. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Berg, Shelton (2005). Essentials Of Jazz Theory, p.105. Alfred Music. ISBN 0-7390-3089-2.

v t e Cadences
Andalusian Backdoor progression Cadenza Corelli English Landini Lydian Picardy third Turnaround ii–V–I turnaround V–IV–I turnaround ♭VII–V cadence

Chord progressions

Terminology

By number
of chords

Three	I–IV–V–I ii–V–I turnaround V–IV–I turnaround ♭VII–V cadence Backdoor progression Eight-bar blues Twelve-bar blues ("Bird" changes) Sixteen-bar blues Passamezzo moderno
Four	'50s progression Andalusian cadence Folía vi–ii–V–I Montgomery-Ward bridge Passamezzo antico I–V–vi–IV (list) IV–V–iii–vi Romanesca Tadd Dameron turnaround

By name

List of chord progressions

v t e Jazz theory and improvisation
Avoid note Backdoor progression Bar-line shift Bebop scale Bird changes Block chord Blue note Cadenza Call and response Chord-scale system Chordioid Coltrane changes Comping Constant structure Contrafact Electroacoustic improvisation Free improvisation List Groove Harmolodics Harmony Head Jam band Jam session Jazz chord So What Jazz improvisation Lead sheet Melodic pattern Outside Polyrhythm Rhythm changes Scale Swing Syncopation Turnaround ii-V-I Tadd Dameron Twelve-bar blues Upper structure

Jazz theory and improvisation

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Alternative usage

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References