This is followed by the solo violin playing a tritone consisting of A and E-flat (0:24-0:32). In the key of C major, “C major” would be your I chord. 1. Here is a II-V-I chord progression written out with the tritone substitution added on the V chord (G7 is substituted w/ Db7 instead). The tritone substitution is one of the most common chord and improvisation devices in jazz. Here is a normal II-V-I (2-5-1) chord progression without the tritone substitution added in on the V chord. 2 Simple Ways to Find the Tritone Sub for any Key. Or in G major it would be between C and F sharp: Example: G7 is replaced by Db7. We have seen how the tritone works in a chord; however, rock guitarists have enjoyed using the tritone interval, in a melodic sense, for creating some of the most recognizable riffs in the history of rock music. Substitute Dominant or “Tritone Sub” Chords. Tritone Substitution With Notation. In Blues and Jazz turnarounds, it's common practice to use harmonic substitutions for any of the chords. (click to expand) 2. A tritone is an interval made up of three tones, or six semitones. This is known as a tritone substitution. Instead of focusing on the notes today, we will focus on the use of the tritone in chords. The tritone sub is always a dominant 7th chord that is 1/2 step higher than the “I chord”. Because they share the same tritone, they are possible substitutes for one another. The tritone substitution is a dominant, or secondary dominant 7th chord whose root is a tritone (3 whole steps) away from the original chord. A “substitute dominant” or “tritone substitution” is a special type of chord whose function is closely related to that of the secondary dominant. The song begins with the note D being played twelve times on a harp to let us know that it’s midnight, After the soft string section chords, we hear eerie E flat and A chords. Also in jazz harmony, the tritone is both part of the dominant chord and its substitute dominant (also known as the sub V chord). While kinda cool, stories like that are likely not true; in fact, the tritone was used in many Baroque and Classical compositions. Here are a few excellent examples with a link to the YouTube video: Rock Songs That Use a Tritone in the Main Riff. In each diatonic scale there is only one tritone, and it occurs between the fourth and seventh degrees of the scale, so in a C major scale this would be between F and B. The violin solo repeats again at 4:45 – 4:50. These chords are interchangeable because the tritone interval pitches are identical in each. 1/2 step higher would be the note ‘C#’ or ‘Db’ (same note). So before we dive into substitute dominants, let’s review secondary dominants. In practice, a tritone sub in jazz is most commonly a dominant 7 chord. Review of Secondary Dominants The fifth chord consists of the root (1) and perfect fifth (5), while the tritone is built from the root (1) and diminished fifth (b5) guitar.ch Guitar Encyclopedia Chord One of the most commonly used chord subs in jazz guitar, the tritone sub, is a concept that comes up time and again when studying soloing and comping, but sometimes its meaning and usage isn’t clear. The tritone interval was considered so dissonant that it led to stories of singers in the church being banned from using it. Substitution: What we mean by the term ‘substitution’ is that we are substituting, or swapping, one chord for another. A tritone above G would be Db, so we can play a tritone by playing the open G string followed by the Db on the 6th fret of the same string. A tritone substitution occurs whenever a chord is being substituted or replaced by another chord with a root a tritone interval away. 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