the Teddy Wilson school · ii–V–I in D♭ (C♯) major
Stride Tenths in D♭ Major
The notes
| Chord | Notes (low → high) | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| E♭m9 | E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F | root · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 |
| A♭9 | A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ | root · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 |
| D♭maj9 | D♭ – F – A♭ – C – E♭ | root · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9 |
Why it works
From E♭m9 to A♭9, 5 voices move (E♭2→A♭2, G♭3→C4, B♭3→E♭4, D♭4→G♭4, F4→B♭4) against 0 held tones. Into D♭maj9, 5 voices settle by step or small leap (total motion of just 34 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
D♭ major puts 11 of the 15 notes on black keys, so the hand rides high on the keyboard — many players find these grips easier to grab here, the way Irving Berlin could only play in F♯. The lowest note is D♭2 in the low register.
Practice tip: play the progression rubato first and listen for the held tones, then put the metronome on 2 and 4 at a slow tempo. When the grab is automatic, move around the circle of fourths — you are coming from A♭ and headed to G♭. Say the chord symbols out loud as you play; naming and hearing are different skills, and you want both.
Where D♭ major lives in the repertoire
D♭ major is ballad country: "Body and Soul", the most-recorded standard of them all, lives here, and its opening bars work this exact cadence. Pianists tend to love D♭ — the hand falls naturally across the black keys — while horn players grumble; that tension is why jam-session versions stay put in D♭ and everyone is expected to cope.
About this voicing style
The swing-era left hand: root and third spread a tenth apart, under a right-hand chord. Read the full story and get it in all 12 keys →
Listen: Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday; Art Tatum's left hand; Fats Waller's stride.
Around the circle
Practice keys in the order bassists walk them — up a fourth: ← A♭ · D♭ · G♭ →