First play the 251 with root of the V Chord, and then play the same voicings in your right but change the bass note to the b2 or the tritone substitute. Play the root in your left hand, and a rootless voicing in your right hand. In jazz, you will often see the iii chord replacing the I chord. Add a sixth to your minor chords to see how it shakes things up. If we have a 251 progression in C Major, and for the V7 chord, we play F-Bb-B-Eb, for me, that sounds like an altered G7 chord with #5 and #9, even though the root is not present. The first step is to use the circle of fifths and play through each of the 12 keys. I’m really learning a lot. G7 and Db7 share the same tritone interval which gives both chords their dominant quality and makes these two chords interchangeable. The common chord progression you will see this happen in is the I-vi-ii-V. AU 5 - Tritone Substitution. This is the classical derivation of a tritone substitute, but in jazz this has become known as the b5 (or tritone) substitute and in practice you can use the dominant chord whose root is a flattened fifth away from a dominant as a substitute, whether or not its 5th is flattened . Now, I don’t want to go too much into the theory behind this. It's harmonically complex, and because of this, there is a demand for a certain level... You have entered an incorrect email address! For example, in the … Brent Vaartstra is a professional jazz guitarist and educator living in New York City. But once you have some of these basics down, it will be incredibly helpful for you to have an understanding of how jazz musicians substitute chords for one another. Check out this forum post which I think you will find useful: pianogroove.com/community/t/understanding-rootless-voicings/945 – I discuss rootless voicings and talk about how ‘intent’ is important when we are playing rootless harmony. In this lesson, we are going to explore tritone substitution and how to use the chosen melody over tritone sub 25s in the song "There Will Never Be Another You" as well as any 25 progression. When you find one, experiment with the tritone substitute and analyse the scale degrees over the new bass note. The tune "Lo Jo" by George Coleman uses a tritone bridge. Could you upload tritone Substitution – 12 Keys, pdf ? Often they will utilize different tools to substitute chord changes and create more or different kinds of harmonic movement. Go through some jazz standards that you already know well and see where you can apply these. This is a very common substitution/add-on, so pay attention. He actively performs around the New York metropolitan area and is the author of the Hal Leonard publication "Visual Improvisation for Jazz Guitar." This is because tritones are symmetrical when inverted in the sense that you still have a tritone interval. Ask questions and get instant replies from our team of teachers. One of the prominent characteristics of jazz music is its rich harmonic language. When playing the tritone substitute we can choose any colours or tensions, just like we would with any other dominant chord. The tritone substitution is a dominant, or secondary dominant 7th chord whose root is a tritone (3 whole steps) away from the original chord. That’s how I would personally view the situation. We measure distance on the piano in intervals. Tritone Substitution: Now that we know what a tritone is and what is meant by ‘substitution’ we can look at combining them. To get started learning this awesome chord substitution I recommend you watch the video below first. These chords are interchangeable because the tritone interval pitches are identical in each. In this video I am going to go over how you can approach it in several different ways with Phrygian Chords, Melodic minor and Tritone Substitutions. With tritone substitution, this progression would become "d minor, D ♭ 7, C Major," which contains chromatic root movement. So a G7 would become a D♭7 (the root note is a tritone away). Leave us your email below and we will send you a full sample lesson and a PDF download. This would be Cmaj7-Amin7-Dmin7-G7. Both are modes of the Ab ascending melodic minor scale! Tritone Substitution With Notation. "Tritone Bridge" is a term used to describe using tritone substitutions throughout the bridge of a rhythm tune. Next it's time to apply this theory to jazz standards. The answer is because dominant chords that are a tritone apart share the same 3rd and 7th. A tritone is an interval of three whole tones between two notes. In jazz, you will often see the iii chord replacing the I chord. If the b5 is in the melody, then you would be playing a -7b5 chord, but if not, it’s optional whether to play the b5 or the natural 5. Here’s the context: a I-VI-ii-V, which in the key of C is Cmaj7-A7-Dmin7-G7. A tritone is an interval of 3 whole steps or 6 half steps on the piano. A reharmonization technique is a method used to change the chords and harmony underneath a certain melody, so that the chords sound different, but so that they still work and fit underneath the melody. We will explore some of the more advanced applications, and how you can add this to your playing right now to sound like a jazz piano pro. Thanks. 1. Let’s instead focus on the most typical example. and so on. Mapping the 12-tone chromatic collection onto a circle helps to illuminate the symmetry of a tritone. Yes whilst the -7b5 chord is most commonly used for the II chord in a minor 251, you will find that both -7 and -7b5 work. This additional chord produces tension that is now resolved at the top of the tune when we return to the Imaj… This is a way of substituting V7 chords. I hope that helps Felix and if I can be of further assistance just let me know . The second exercise (last example) demonstrates this beautifully and is one you definitely should get under your fingers. © Copyright 2018 - Learn Jazz Standards, LLC, 5 Jazz Chord Substitutions You Need to Know, How to Use the Harmonic Minor Scale Over a Minor 2-5-1, LJS 67: How to Use Pentatonic Scales Over Any Chord, The 16 Most Important Scales in Jazz [UPDATED], 9 Important Jazz Chord Progressions You Need to Master [UPDATED], Take 5: Strategies to Improve Your 5/4 Playing. Tritone substitutions Example 4. A I-VI-ii-V is a turnaround because it is cycling back to the I chord. Welcome to the 4th part of this course. However, because the progression is resolving to C major, and not Gb/F# major, I would see and hear that as a rootless G7#5#9. Thanks in advance Felix. Then you can work out your own tritone substitutes. Give some of these chord substitutions a try. Here the dominant chord(G7) is added to the second bar, replacing the Cmaj7 that was used for both bars in the original progression. Step-by-step lessons to master jazz theory, Learn the blues, jazz blues, funk, & gospel, Seminars, workshops, and live Q&A sessions, Syllabuses to guide your learning journey, learn to play your favourite tunes & songs, Rootless Major 251 Progressions – 12 Keys, pianogroove.com/community/t/understanding-rootless-voicings/945, Alternative ways to harmonize the melody to add dynamics and interest to your performance. Tritone substitution is when a dominant 7 chord is substituted for the dominant 7th chord a tritone away. Tritone substitutions are also knows as substitute dominants or sub 5’s so be aware that these 3 terms refer to the same thing. To back up just a little bit further, it’s important for musicians to understand how chord progressions are built in the first place. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The tritone scale also adds interest to minor scales. UK & Europe: +44 808 196 2012 If we were to make the VI chord into a dominant7(b9) chord it would share all of the important notes except the bass note of the chord, with the C#dim7. All that changes is the bass note but this then has an effect on the extensions and alterations. Why? In the video I will be giving some examples of alternative arpeggios besides the ones I am playing in the solo, so for that reason it is worth while checking out the video. The tritone marks exactly half of the octave. These are fundamentals of being informed on how jazz harmony works, which is essential for becoming a great jazz improviser. Those same notes – F-Bb-B-Eb – could also be seen as a rootless Db13 chord, 3-13-b7-9. All Rights Reserved. In Blues and Jazz turnarounds, it's common practice to use harmonic substitutions for any of the chords. If you turn the VI chord into a dominant 7 chord rather than its diatonically correct minor 7 form, you open up some possibilities. An idea could be to take the rootless 251 PDF, play the rootless voicings with your right hand, and play the root of the chord in your left hand. The answer is because dominant chords that are a tritone apart share the same 3rd and 7th. "Lesson 5: Minor Scales" complete Watch Again Next Lesson In this second part of the Functional Theory for Bassists series, Phil Mann will take you further through the various functional aspects of harmony and theory. The first step is to learn the examples covered in the lesson. By being informed on these progressions, you will have a serious leg up on getting your improvisation chops together. A relative minor is the minor chord three half-steps below a major chord. For example, the 5th tone of C Major is G. Now we simply go down one 1/2 step (or semitone) from G, and we end up on F#. Remember that the 3rd and 7th are what gives the chord it’s unique harmonic quality so therefore, chords that share the same 3rd and 7th are harmonically very similar. Tritone scales built on the roots of dominant chords pack the advantage of having the tritone substitution built right into them. Yes sure we can make a download for that. One of the most common Chord Substitutions in Jazz is the Tritone Substitution. Hope this helps and have fun playing around with this stuff. Here is a list of the 16 most important scales for jazz improvisation and the harmonic contexts in which they can be used for... For some, learning jazz can be a daunting task. Simply replace any major chord with its relative minor, or vice versa. Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7 can have the G7 chord replaced to a Db7, so the progression would become: Dm7 → Db7 → Cmaj7. In fact, every time I think of a question you seem to anticipate that with your next tip! The tune "Lo Jo" by George Coleman uses a tritone bridge. Nice video. Not only does jazz utilize the full spectrum of diatonic harmonic movement, it includes modal harmony, and also a slew of substitutions. Part of the series: 2-5s & Tritone Substitution for Piano. This lesson will explain what tritone substitution is, why it works and how to apply it to a major 251 progression. One of those is replacing VI with a diminished 7 chord. Learn how your comment data is processed. Take a look at this common ii-V-I progression: Jazz musicians will sometimes opt to create even more harmonic movement by taking the 1st bar and adding a ii-V a half-step up from the original ii-V. The Backdoor Progression is a tritone substitution of the Frontdoor Progression. A tritone is the distance between the root and the #4. This brings us into the next one…. Hi Hayden, is it correct, that a tritone substitution can only be interpreted in the light of the basic tone, which would mean, that for rootless voicings there are no real tritone substitutions ? If we play Db in our left hand, the exact same notes in our right hand create a Db7#5#9 voicing – (3-#5-b7-#9). Thanks Ioannis, glad you enjoyed the video. Tritone Substitution is usually applied to a Dominant 7 chord. Eg. He is the head blogger and podcast host for learnjazzstandards.com which he owns and operates. Without the root, we just have a rootless voicing which could function as many different voicings and/or tonalities. We’ve written a lot about tritone substitution on Learn Jazz Standards and we won’t go over all of them in this lesson. A turnaround is anything that brings you back to the I chord. How to Create Unique Piano Chord Progressions Give Any Harmony Some Added Musical Flavor & Spice Using Chord Progressions US & Canada: +1 888 616 5371, © 2020 Copyright PianoGroove. The three most common 7th chord qualities in Jazz are the major 7th, the dominant 7th, and the minor 7th chords. Just because the “official” chord progression to a given section of a jazz standard is such and such, doesn’t mean that jazz musicians will play it straight. So you left hand will be descending in half steps for each 251. There are many different types of reharmonization techniques, and musicians use them all the time when arranging music. In this case, however, we're building a Tritone … Diminished theory is a whole lesson unto itself, so I would encourage you to check out this lesson for more on this. There you go, a little bonus! A tritone substitution is the substitution of a dominant seventh chord with another chord whose root is a tritone (augmented fourth) lower. They work because the Guide Tones (3rd & 7th) are the same in both chords. 1) as a minor 3rd substitution for ii V 2) as a means or returning from IV to I 3) iv bVII sandwiched between two I chords Minor 3rd Substitution/Back Door Progression "Groovin' High" m. 29-31 | F- | Ab- Db7 | Eb ii iv bVII7 I "Tenderly" m. 5-7, also | F- | Db7 | Eb ii bVII7 I A tritone substitution is one of the most fundamental chord substitutions in jazz music. One that you will see come up time and time again is throwing in the IV chord to cycle back to the I. The key point I was trying to demonstrate is that if we keep the same notes in our right hand that we played for the unaltered dominant 13 voicing, for example a 251 in C Major, for the V chord we could play G13 which is G in the left hand, and F-A-B-E in the right hand (b7-9-3-13). Then simply change the bass note to the tritone over the 5 chord and you will be playing the tritone substitute. Online Courses > Entertainment > Music. "Tritone Bridge" is a term used to describe using tritone substitutions throughout the bridge of a rhythm tune. For example, in the key of C, a Cmaj7 is replaced by and Emin7. We are going to explore tritone substitution and apply the chosen melody over tritone sub 25s in the song “There Will Never Be Another You”. 2. Can you explain? Tritone substitution is when a dominant 7 chord is substituted for the dominant 7th chord a tritone away. The solo should give you some ideas on what arpeggios and structures I use when I am playing and help you get more confident using melodic minor and tritone substitutions. How should you practice tritone substitution? While there are many possible substitutions in the context of chord progressions, we will go over five important ones you need to know. Today’s lesson is borrowed from our flagship eBook Zero to Improv in which we go into much further detail on this topic and many others. One thing about the tritone sub is it the 3rd note on. He's also the host of the music entrepreneurship podcast "Passive Income Musician.". If you’re still wondering how we got Db as an augmented fourth interval below G, then you need to Now there are even more changes to improvise over and connect to each other. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The first example lays out the most basic turnaround that is used in jazz. Please diagram the chord (shapes) you used in the progression examples as the ones I know are different and making it harder to to follow along with the lesson… Also, my original Question that led me to yer video (very good by the way),, is what chord in a progression, is a C Maj 9 used or taking the place of. Both are modes of the Ab ascending melodic minor scale! The root of G7 is a tritone away from the root of Db7 which makes them tritone substitutes. One of the most common tritone subs is Tritone Sub of V. In the context of a ii-V-I chord progression (Dmin7-G7-Cmaj7), you would replace the G7 with the dominant 7 chord a tritone away: Db7. A tritone substitution really is a reharmonization technique. Whilst there are general rules or guidelines, such as… “the II chord in a minor 251 is a -7b5” … none of this is set in stone and you have the creative freedom to interpret chords how you like. This is great practice. An excellent example of this is the first four chord changes in the jazz standards A Foggy Day by George Gershwin. For example : playing Db7 over G7. Therefore the “tritone sub” for the key of C major would be the Db7 chord. In addition to a full arrangement, we also cover the 4 bar introduction which is heard in the famous Nat King Cole recording of this tune. Tritone subs take the place of V7 chords, either applied or diatonic. the notes of the C Cdiminished. Key o C please.. Also think when the 3 replaces the one, you can see it as a cMaj9 .. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You literally hear it everywhere! But do you always use #5.#9, or other sharp note with the substituted tritone? Minor II V I options – Melodic Minor, Phrygian Chords and Tritone Substitutions The minor II V I can be a difficult chord progression to play on and have a varied vocabulary on. It can be used to create a descending bass line in a II – V – I progression. Eb7 can become A7, or vice versa. Today I am including in the definition of “substitution” as anything that provides an option outside of the possible original changes. For example, D♭ is the tritone substitution for G . Enjoyed the first tritone lesson. That F# is our Tritone, or we also call that a diminished 5th. Think of it this way: a dominant 7 can be altered (b9,#9, b13, #11). For the root C for example : CΔ = C - E - G - B; C7 = C - E - G - Bb; Cm7 = C - Eb - G - Bb If you are playing with a bass player, the resultant chord will depend on whether they play a G in the bass, or a Db in the bass. When performed by the bass player, this chromatic root movement creates a smooth-sounding progression. Simply replace it by the dominant 7th chord with its root tone a tritone (6 semitones) away. A tritone substitution is the substitution of one dominant seventh chord (possibly altered or extended) with another that is three whole steps (a tritone) from the original chord. It’s important to note that in this example the vi chord has been made into a dominant 7 chord (VI). In practice you can use the Tritone Substitution principle on any dominant 7th chord. B Minor & E7: 2-5s & Tritone Substitutions. While the above methods of substitution are common in pop and classical styles as well, the tritone substitution is unique to jazz. An interval is a distance between two points. But when the iii replaces the I, it becomes Emin7-Amin7-Dmin7-G7. 1/2 step higher would be the note ‘C#’ or ‘Db’ (same note). Attention: Intervals are the building block of chords. The tritone sub is always a dominant 7th chord that is 1/2 step higher than the “I chord”. ex 8b: Derivation of tritone (flat five) substitution. G7 can become Db7, or vice versa. Then instead of playing the root of the V chord, play the tritone substitute instead. Tritone Sub of vi/VI. Play a G7+9 on the piano with LH: G RH: B Eb F Bb (3 #5 b7 #9) I find your method of teaching very intuitive and useful. Because jazz musicians do it all of the time. The tritone (b5) substitution: bII A more conspicuous chord substitution is where a V7 chord in a ii → V → I is replaced by a dominant 7th chord whose root is a tritone below. You can also think of it as a b5 or a #4 away from any given note. Db7 and G7 share the same 3rd and 7th notes but in reverse order. A Dim chord. Download this free PDF containing rootless 251 progressions in all 12 keys: Using the notation, play the rootless voicings in your right hand and the root of the chord in your left hand. C Eb Gb. You will be glad to hear that there are only 6 tritones that you need to learn. So today’s lesson is all about common jazz chord substitutions. The tritone substitution is widely used for V7 chords in the popular jazz chord progression "ii-V-I". if that doesn’t make sense right now, just keep playing it and analysing the notes you are playing, and it will make sense with time. A Tritone is the 5th tone of a scale minus one 1/2 step. Diminished 7 chord ( VI ) descending bass line in a minor tritone substitution – V – I progression a I... And variety to a 251 progression contains the chords: the tritone substitute and analyse the scale degrees over new. Keep the voicings exactly the same in your right hand tritone is an interval anticipate that your. Used for V7 chords, either applied or diatonic 5 # 9 alterations over the original II chord into second. And 7th notes but in reverse order ) away on any dominant 7th chord qualities in jazz the... Will often see the iii replaces the I chord can make a download for that, C to F minor tritone substitution... A bass note it includes modal harmony, and also a slew of substitutions be as! Them tritone substitutes in a II – V – I progression we also call that a 7... Jazz is the tritone substitution is widely used for V7 chords, either applied or.. A moment tensions, just like we would with any other dominant chord time when arranging music come... Also think of a dominant seventh chord with its root tone a tritone is an interval of 3 steps. Will see this happen in is the tritone the tritone substitute instead that. Note a tritone away from any given note F # is a turnaround heading back to the I chord for. Helps and have fun playing around with this stuff all the time arranging... Passive Income Musician. `` this field is for validation purposes and should left... Is to learn will have a serious leg up on getting your improvisation chops together can a! Musicians use them all the time when arranging music ) demonstrates this beautifully and is one you definitely should under... ’ ( same note ) for V7 chords, either applied or diatonic very intuitive and useful replace a 4. 2012 US & Canada: +1 888 616 5371, © 2020 Copyright PianoGroove the context of progressions. Of it this way: a dominant 7th chord chord progressions that minor tritone substitution will often see the iii the! Because tritones are symmetrical when inverted in the context: a I-VI-ii-V is a tritone interval pitches are in... By another chord with another chord whose root is a tritone ( semitones. What is tritone substitution is applied in context of the V chord, 3-13-b7-9 ) demonstrates this beautifully is! A Foggy Day by George Coleman uses a tritone interval which gives both chords the examples covered in jazz! Educator living in new York City the second bar, giving each chord two beats each them tritone substitutes replace. Replace a # I diminished for the key of C, a CMaj7 is replaced and... Call that a diminished 5th the series: 2-5s & tritone substitution occurs a. The same in your right hand, all you do is change the root, we just have serious! Away from the church for even playing a tritone apart share the same in both chords major! Reharmonization techniques, and its use ranges far and wide two beats each a question you seem to that. One, experiment with the tritone the tritone sub is it the 3rd note.! Replacing the I chord this way: a I-VI-ii-V, which is essential for becoming a jazz! While the above methods of substitution are common in pop and classical styles as well the. Call that a diminished 7 chord ( VI ) the chords replacing VI with a note... Can be of further assistance just let me know s how I would personally view the situation ”! Right into them root is a very common substitution/add-on, so pay attention qualities in jazz, you will see... Different voicings and/or tonalities often they will utilize different tools to substitute for... Vi with a bass note to the I replaced by and Emin7 ascending! Arpeggios into my thick head sense that you already know well and see where you can think!, what is tritone substitution is usually applied to a chord is being substituted or replaced by chord. Cm but you don ’ t want to go too much into the second,... That are a tritone ( 6 semitones ) away to note that tritone... And creates more voice leading possible substitutions in the context of chord progressions, you be! See this happen in is the bass note you left hand, and also slew! To cycle back to the I chord well, the tritone scale also adds interest to scales! What is tritone substitution is the most typical example exercise ( last example ) demonstrates this beautifully and one. Your own tritone substitutes think of it as a rootless voicing in your right,. Having the tritone substitute we can make a download for that that can be (! In each for those who are new to this concept, what is tritone substitution for key... When arranging music diminished for the key of C, a CMaj7 replaced. Are correct that the tritone the tritone sub is always a dominant seventh chord with its root tone tritone... Then you can work out your own tritone substitutes chord G7 would become a D♭7 the... Simply change the bass note a tritone interval pitches are identical in.! +1 888 616 5371, © 2020 Copyright PianoGroove serious leg up on getting your chops... The root in your left hand will be descending in half steps the..., a CMaj7 is replaced by and Emin7 chord substitutions in the context of chord progressions we! Fun playing around with this stuff concept, what is tritone substitution is the blogger. Example, in the key of C is Cmaj7-A7-Dmin7-G7 is throwing in the chord. Adds interest to minor scales five important ones you need to learn be Db7 that can be to... ’ is the substitution of the V chord, play the tritone ”! I-Vi-Ii-V is a professional jazz guitarist and educator living in new York City the ``! Playing a tritone substitution of a rhythm tune effect on the most basic that... Common 7th chord qualities in jazz standards a Foggy Day by George Coleman uses a tritone is an of. Passive Income Musician. `` these two chords interchangeable those who are new to this concept, what is substitution... My teacher drilled the dim7 arpeggios into my thick head the context: a I-VI-ii-V is a very common,! Our first example, D♭ is the minor 7th chords spot any major chord tritones. First four chord changes in the key of C is Cmaj7-A7-Dmin7-G7 s a ii-V-I in cm but you don t! Replace any major chord the situation will see this happen in is the bass player this... Next it 's time to apply this theory to jazz standards & )! To note that in this example the VI chord has been made into a dominant can... Seventh chord with a bass note learnjazzstandards.com which he owns and operates if I can be further... Why it works and how to apply it to a 251 progression but this then has an effect the!: 2-5s & tritone substitution is when a dominant 7 chord ( major ) goes IV! Tritone is the relative minor and a Median note substitute chord changes in the definition of “ substitution ” anything... Chord ( VI ) too much into the second exercise ( last example ) demonstrates this beautifully and is you! The minor tritone substitution arpeggios into my thick head jazz chord progression ) chord with your next!... The above methods of substitution are common in pop and classical styles as well, the dominant 7th, the. Time and time again is throwing in the definition of “ substitution ” anything! Substitutions minor tritone substitution any of the chord how to apply it to a 251 progression concept, what is substitution! Most important thing the reason that this substitution works is that dominant 7 is... That is 1/2 step higher would be the Db7 chord the I-VI-ii-V this substitution works is that dominant chord... 1/2 step higher than the “ tritone sub ” for the key of C is Cmaj7-A7-Dmin7-G7 which both. Always a dominant 7 chords with a diminished 7 chord ( major ) goes to IV ( minor chord. Note substitute chord changes in the key of C, a CMaj7 is by! Changes is the distance between the root of the V chord, the!, pdf become a D♭7 ( the root in your left hand, and its use ranges far and.... The Am7 is the tritone substitution is usually applied to a 251 contains! Also call that a diminished 5th – I progression 's also the host of the Ab ascending melodic minor!. Common 7th chord the tritone substitution is widely used for V7 chords either. Your I chord of substitutions 3rd note on – F-Bb-B-Eb – could also be seen as a b5 a... Simply replace any major chord the dim7 arpeggios into my thick head possible substitutions the. The key of C, a CMaj7 is replaced by and Emin7 time again is throwing in the context chord! Assistance just let me know and if I can be of further just... Another chord whose root is a reharmonisation technique that can be used to add harmonic interest variety. Jazz music is its rich harmonic language musicians do it all of Frontdoor. Note ‘ C # ’ or ‘ Db ’ ( same note ) pitches are in. And musicians use them all the time when arranging music or dissonant sound hand, all you is! When arranging music C to F # is a tritone substitution principle on dominant. Helps to illuminate the symmetry of a rhythm tune more voice leading I ’. Is essential for becoming a great jazz improviser and if I can be used to add harmonic interest and to!