I6/9–IVmaj7

The I6/9–IVmaj7 progression pairs two of the lushest chord voicings in jazz: the sixth-ninth chord and the major seventh. The 6/9 chord combines the warmth of the sixth with the brightness of the ninth, creating a rich, satisfying tonic that moves to the equally colorful IVmaj7. This progression defines the bossa nova sound and is widely used as a sophisticated final cadence in jazz arrangements.

Pattern: I69 – IVmaj7 Example in C Major: C6/9 – Fmaj7

Genre: bossa-nova, jazz, neo-soul Difficulty: intermediate

Choose a Key

C Major C6/9 – Fmaj7 G Major G6/9 – Cmaj7 D Major D6/9 – Gmaj7 A Major A6/9 – Dmaj7 E Major E6/9 – Amaj7 B Major B6/9 – Emaj7 F♯ Major F♯6/9 – Bmaj7 F Major F6/9 – Bbmaj7 B♭ Major B♭6/9 – Ebmaj7 E♭ Major E♭6/9 – Abmaj7 A♭ Major A♭6/9 – Dbmaj7 D♭ Major D♭6/9 – Gbmaj7

Song Examples

Chameleon — Herbie Hancock
The Girl from Ipanema — Jobim
Mercy Mercy Mercy — Cannonball Adderley

Related Progressions

Imaj7–IVmaj7 I6–ii–V Imaj7–ii–V