Understanding Tritone Substitutions

by John Mark Piper

Understanding the basics of tritone substitutions and how they typically function are an
important aspect of music. Having good command of them can help a musician's reading,
hearing, performing and memorizing music.

First off, it's important to understand what a dominant chord truly is. If you're reading this or
planning to use it as a teaching device, you and your students probably already know that the
dominant chord is the "V7" chord. But why? The word dominant means ruling, governing, or
controlling; having or exerting authority or influence. When I explain the "dominant" chord, to
my students I always include the following fundamental demonstration that I believe helps to
solidify an understanding of dominant chords and their tritone substitutions.

Demonstration:

1. Play the C major scale up to and stopping on the note "B" and sustain it. What does this
note (B) want to do? Anyone with a musical ear will hear it wanting to continue and
finish on "C". This is very "dominating" and almost requires a resolution to C. I then
play the scale beginning on C (above middle C) descending to the note F and sustain.
This note wants to continue down to E which is the third of the key.
2. I then play the notes F and B together and resolve them simultaneously to E and C which
sounds like a cadence to C major. I tell the students that this is probably why these notes
together are referred to as "dominant".
3. Next, if you add the root G to the notes, you will have a complete V7 to I cadence.
4. If necessary, mark the 3rd and 7th degrees (B and F) on your vibe or other keyboard with
a small piece of tape or paper to follow the next part of the demonstration more easily.
5. Now, follow the same steps in the key of Gb. The tritone (3rd and 7th degree) will be the
same but with switched identities due to the different roots - the third of the G7 (B) is the
b7 of the Db7 (Cb) and the 7th of the G (F) is the 3rd of the Db.

Being able to wrap your mind around the dominant chords and their tritone substitutions can be
tricky at first so here are a few exercises that will help. Try to always know what you are doing
intellectually as well as recognizing the patterns and sounds that are created.
 Tritone Substitution Exercises
for Keyboard Mallet Instruments Piper

j j
Basic Tritone Substition Pattern: Bass note plays both roots of each tritone.

‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ œj Œ ‰ # œj Œ ‰ œj Œ ‰ œj Œ
&c œ bœ œ œ bœ # # # www
œ bœ œ b œ œ bœ œ bœ œ
#œ
œ w

b œœ œœ b œœ œœ b œœ œœ
Tritone Pattern with octave variation of tritone.

œ bœ ww
& œ b b œœ œœ # œœœ n bb œœœ # œœœ b n œœœ
5

ww
œ bœ œ bœ œ

j j j j j j
Basic two-bar tritone pattern modulating up in half steps.

9 ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ww
& œ #œ œ œ bœ
œ bœ œ œ nœ œ #œ ww

j j j j j j
Basic tritone substitution pattern modulating by major second.

j
‰ b œœ Œ ‰ œ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ œœ Œ ‰ œ Œ œ
‰ bœ Œ ˙
b œ # nœ b œ ˙˙
b œ
13

& œ # œ n œ œ
bœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ b˙
j j j j j
j j b œ
‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰ # œœ Œ ‰ œ Œ # ˙
œ b œ œ # ˙˙
17

& œ œ # œ œ
œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ ˙
j j œj b œj j j j j j
j
‰ œœ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ‰b œ Œ ‰ œ Œ ‰ œ Œ ‰ œj Œ ‰ b œœ Œ # ˙ ‰# œœ Œ ‰ n œœ Œ ‰ œ Œ ‰ b œ Œ b œ œ
& œ b œ œ # œ b œ œ b œ œ b œœ b œ œ œ # ˙˙ b œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ b œ
21

œ# œ bœ ˙
j j j j j j
j j b œ œ b œ
‰# œ Œ ‰ n œ Œ ‰ b œœ Œ ˙˙ ‰ œ Œ ‰ # œœ Œ ‰ b œ Œ ‰ œ Œ ‰ œjŒ ‰ # œj Œ ‰ b œœ Œ # # ˙˙
& œœ œ œ œ b œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ #œ
27

b œ ˙ b œ œ b œ œ ˙˙
bœ œ œ b˙ œ bœ œ

©Piper's Loft, Inc. 3/07

2

Basic tritone substitution pattern modulating up by major thirds

œœ b œœ b œœ œ œ
b œœ œœ b œœ œ b œœœ œœ œ b œœ œœ œ
b œ # # # www # œ
œ bœ nœ
33

& œ #œ b œ # œœ # œ œ nœ
œ bœ œ bœ bœ œ bœ œ w œ
b œœ œ b œ œ # œ b œœ n œœ œ ww
# n
œœ œœ b œœ œ b œœ œ œ b œœ b œœ œœ b œœ # œœ
& b œ b œœ b œœ œ œœ œ œ b œ # # œœ œ #œ
38

w
œ bœ œ b œ w œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ bœ œ
œœ # œ
ww b œœ # œœ n œœ œ b œœ œ œ b
b œœ # œ œ n œ b œœ # # ww
# œ
& b b ww bœ œ bœ ww
44

œ bœ œ œ b œ œ œ œ bœ
œ
bœ

Exchanging upperstructures of dominant tritone substitutions.

B b 13 E b 13 A b 13 D 13 D b 13 G 13 G b 13

˙
F 13 B 13 E 13 A 13 C 13 B Maj7

& b ˙w # # ˙˙ ˙˙ # # ˙˙ ˙˙ # ˙˙ b ˙˙ n ˙˙ b b ˙˙w n ˙˙ b bb ˙˙ww n ˙˙ # # www

49

w b ww b ww b ww w #w

The above exercise has identical notes as below. However, applying a different
root creates different color, texture and names.

B b7(#9b13) E b7(#9b13) A b7(#9b13) D b7(#9b13) G b7(#9b13)

B7 (b13

& # ˙˙w # # ˙˙ b b ˙˙w n ˙˙

F 7(#9b13)

˙˙ # # ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ b ˙˙ n ˙˙ b b ˙˙w n ˙˙
56 B 7(#9b13) B Maj7

# # www
E 7(#9b13) A 7(#9b13) D 7(#9b13) G 7(#9b13) C 7(#9b13)

w # ww # ˙
w #w # ww w bw #w