“Just the Two of Us” was written by Bill Withers, William Salter and Ralph MacDonald and released in 1980 by saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. with Withers singing. It became a huge hit and won a Grammy. Its chord progression is so famous that musicians simply call it “the Just the Two of Us progression.”
The tune is usually played in Db or F minor territory. The core progression is a four-chord loop: IVmaj7, III7, vim7, then a v-I7 movement (in Db: Gbmaj7, F7, Bbm7, Abm7 to Db7). That loop repeats through most of the song, giving it a smooth, laid-back R&B feel that has been used in countless songs and memes since.
For improvisation, the Bb minor pentatonic and the Db major scale cover much of the loop. Over the F7, use F Phrygian dominant (from Bb harmonic minor) or altered sounds to bring out its tension. Grover Washington Jr.’s soprano sax lines are smooth, melodic and soulful, a perfect model for this style.
Practice the loop until it’s automatic, then improvise short, melodic phrases over a smooth R&B groove. Pianists should learn the progression in all keys, since it’s used everywhere.
How to use this Just the Two of Us Lead Sheet PDF: print it or keep it on a tablet, mark the form sections and key centers in pencil, and write the guide tones you want to target above the tricky bars. Revisit those notes after each practice session so the tune gets easier every week.
Getting the most from the Just the Two of Us Lead Sheet PDF: start by reading the chord symbols without your instrument and humming the roots. Then circle any chord you can’t yet voice or arpeggiate, and make those your warm-up for the week before you play the whole form.
Is it hard to play? It’s beginner to intermediate and very rewarding. Recordings to study: Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers’s original. Learn more about the singer and co-writer on Bill Withers’s Wikipedia page, and find more R&B and smooth jazz lead sheets on Minedit.