Tritone Substitution #1 Basic Theory The function of any dominant chord is to resolve



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Tritone Substitution #1 – Basic Theory
The function of any dominant chord is to resolve:


  1. up a fourth (down a fifth) - e.g. A7 to D or Dm

  2. down a minor second (up a major seventh) – e.g. Eb7 to D or Dm

Any dominant chord can be substituted for another dominant chord built on a chord root one tritone (3 tones or augmented 4th/diminished 5th) away. E.g


ii V I ii bII I

Eb7 can replace A7: | Em7 A7 | Dma7 | to produce: | Em7 Eb7 | Dma7 |



The reasoning behind this is that both the original chord (A7) and the substitute chord (Eb7) contain common tones as you can see here:


Example 1:
The fifths have been omitted for clarity. The b7 of the A7 becomes the 3 of the Eb7 and the 3 of the A7 becomes the b7 of the Eb7. Note that the root changes

What this means is that common cycle progressions like the A section from “Autumn Leaves”

iv bVII bIII bVI* ii V i

|Cm7 F9 | Bbma6/9 Ebma7 | Am7b5 D7b9 |Gm7 |


Can be given a new lease of life here using tritone subs:

iv III bIII II* ii bII i



|Cm7 B7#5b9 | Bbma6/9 A7#5b9 | Am7b5 Ab7b9 |Gm9

*note that Ebma7 is substituted by A7#5b9 – this demonstrates that tritone subs can even be used with non dominant chords!

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