Tritone substitution

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In jazz, a tritone substitution[1][2] is the chord substitution of a chord with a dominant
chord that has its root a tritone away from the original. The tritone substitution is one of
the most common substitutions found in jazz and was the precursor to more complex
substitution patterns like Coltrane changes. Tritone substitutions are sometimes used in
improvisationoften to create tension during a solo. Though examples of the tritone
substitution in major repertoire appear as early as the 1910s, for instance in the rondo of
Mahler's 9th Symphony, they were first used extensively by musicians such as Dizzy
Gillespie in the 1940s,[3] Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge
and Benny Goodman.[citation needed] For example, using C (D) major instead of G major in
the key of C major (C is a tritone away from G).

Contents
[hide]

1 Analysis
o 1.1 Jazz
o 1.2 Classical
o 1.3 In a 12-bar blues
o 1.4 In a ii-V-I progression

2 See also

3 References

4 Bibliography

Analysis[edit]
Jazz[edit]

F#7 may substitute for C7 because they both have E and B/A and pay due to voice
leading considerations. Play (helpinfo)
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. In
other words, tritone substitution involves replacing V7 with II7[1] (which could also be
called V7/V, subV7,[1] or V7/V[1]). For example, D7 is the tritone substitution for G7.
In standard jazz harmony, tritone substitution works because the two chords share two
pitches: namely, the third and seventh, albeit reversed.[4] In a G7 chord, the third is B and
the seventh is F; whereas, in its tritone substitution, D7, the third is an F and the
seventh is C (enharmonically B). Notice that the interval between the third and seventh
of a dominant seventh chord is itself a tritone.

C7 followed quickly by the tritone it contains (E-B), its inversion (B-F), and then G7
Play (helpinfo).
Edward Sarath calls tritone substitutions a "non-diatonic practice that is indirectly
related to applied chord functions... yield[ing] an alternative melodic pathway in the
bass to the tonic triad."[1] Patricia Julien says it involves replacing "harmonic root
movement of a fifth with stepwise root movements (e.g., G7-C becomes D7-C) so that
although stepwise root movement is involved, the relationship between the chords is
functional".[5]
The tritone substitute dominant often contains the original dominant pitch (the sharp
fourth (equivalently, sharp eleventh or flat fifth) relative to the original root) due to its
importance melodically and tonally, and this is one of the ways in which substitute
dominants may sound and function somewhat differently than conventional dominant
chords.[6] (However, #11ths also occur on non-substituted dominant chords in jazz.) The
substitute dominant may be used as a pivot chord in modulation.[7] Since it is the
dominant chord a tritone away, the substitute dominant may resolve down a fifth, to a
tonic chord a tritone away from the previous tonic (for example, in F one may feature a
ii-V on C, which with a substitute dominant resolves to G, a distant key from F).
Resolution to the original tonic is also common.
Tritone substitutions are also closely related to the altered chord used commonly in jazz.
Jerry Coker explains:
Tritone substitutions and altered dominants are nearly identical... Good improvisers will
liberally sprinkle their solos with both devices. A simple comparison of the notes
generally used with the given chord [notation] and the notes used in tri-tone substitution
or altered dominants will reveal a rather stunning contrast, and could cause the
unknowledgeable analyzer to suspect errors. ... the distinction between the two [tri-tone
substitution and altered dominant] is usually a moot point.[2]

Tritone substitution and altered chord as, "nearly identical"[2]

Play (helpinfo).

The alt chord is a heavily altered dominant seventh chord, built on the alt scale, a scale
that includes a flat ninth, flat third, flat fourth, flat fifth, flat sixth and flat seventh. For
example, C7alt is built from the scale C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Enharmonically, this is
almost the same as the scale for G7, which is the tritone substitute of C7: G (=F), A,
B, C, D, E (=D), F (=E). The only difference is C, which is the sharp eleventh of
the G7 chord. Thus, the alt chord is equivalent to the tritone substitution with a sharp
eleven alteration.
The tritone substitution primarily implies a Lydian7, or Lydian dominant scale. In the
case of C7 to Bmaj7, the implied scale behind C7 would be C D E F G A B. Because of
this, the extensions of 9, 11 and 13 are all available, while the 11 is where it shares
with the altered scale.

Classical[edit]
Classical harmonic theory would notate the substitution as an augmented sixth chord on
2. The augmented sixth chord can either be the Italian sixth It+6, which is
enharmonically equivalent to a dominant seventh chord without the fifth; the German
sixth Gr+6, which is enharmonically equivalent to a dominant seventh chord with the
fifth; or the French sixth Fr+6, which is enharmonically equivalent to the Lydian
dominant without the fifth but with a sharp eleven, all of which serve in a classical
context as a substitute for the secondary dominant of V.[8][9]
Below is the original dominant-tonic progression, the same progression with the tritone
substitution, and the same progression with the substitution notated as an Italian
augmented sixth chord:

Original, tritone substitution, and augmented sixth chord

In a 12-bar blues[edit]
One of the most common usages of the tritone substitution is in the 12-bar blues. Shown
below is one of the simpler forms of 12-bar blues.
I
I

IV
I

IV

IV

IV

| C7
| C7

| F7
| C7

| C7
||

| C7

| F7

| F7

| C7

| C7

| G7

| F7

Next, here is the same 12-bars, except incorporating a tritone substitution in measure 4;
that is, with Gb7 substituted for C7.
I
I
| C7
| C7

IV
I
| F7
| C7

I
| C7
||

bV7

IV

IV

| Gb7

| F7

| F7

| C7

| C7

| G7

IV
| F7

In a ii-V-I progression[edit]
The second common usage of the tritone substitution is in ii-V-I progression, which is
extremely common in jazz harmony. This substitution is particularly suitable for jazz
because it produces chromatic root movement. For example, in the progression Dm7 - G7
- Cmaj7, substituting D7 for G7 produces the downward movement of D - D - C in the
roots of the chords, typically played by the bass. This also reinforces the downward
movement of the thirds and sevenths of the chords in the progression (in this case, F&C
to F&C to E&B).

ii-V-I turnaround in C

Play (helpinfo) without a tritone substitution.

Tritone substitution ii-subV-I in C

substitution.

Play (helpinfo) turnaround with a tritone

mm.11-12 of "April in Paris" melody with tritone substitution in ii7-V7-i progression (ii7
not shown) making ii7-II7-i.[10] Play (helpinfo).