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Harmonizing chords/scales scale produces chords with different sounds. These chords have different qualities which produce different effects when played in a piece of music. Though these chords offer a wide range of expression, musicians often want to add variety and surprise to their music. This is accomplished by substituting existing chords with ones that sound different but accomplish the same harmonic function. When the new chord belongs to the same key as the original chord, it is called a chord substitution.
These 3 basic things you need to know are:
- "Into what other chord will this note fit?"
- The "Half-Step Slide". This technique creates all kinds of new chords that you can use over and over again on song after song.
- The "Exchange a Minor 7th Chord For Any Dominant 7th Chord" and other chord exchange technique. This makes your playing sound more mellow and gives it more variety.
Chord Family Substitutions
It is helpful to know the functions of the chords in order to make successful chord substitutions. The diatonic structure consists of three families of chords: tonic, subdominant, and dominant.
It is helpful to know the functions of the chords in order to make successful chord substitutions. The diatonic structure consists of three families of chords: tonic, subdominant, and dominant.
The tonic family expresses the tonal foundation of a key. The subdominant family expresses movement away from the foundation. And finally, the dominant family expresses harmonic tension. This tension is released with chords that move the harmony back to the tonic. Chords belonging to the same family can often be substituted for each other.
The diagram below shows the similarity between notes when chord families in the key of C major are grouped together.
Inversions
Another kind of chord substitution is accomplished by rearranging the notes of a chord to produce a new chord. Below is an example of some of the chords in the key of C major that are inversions of each other and can usually be used interchangeably.
Another kind of chord substitution is accomplished by rearranging the notes of a chord to produce a new chord. Below is an example of some of the chords in the key of C major that are inversions of each other and can usually be used interchangeably.
Because of its construction, a diminished seventh chord (dim7) offers several inverted combinations that work as chord substitutes. This chord is made up of four notes spaced a b3rd (minor third) apart. The notes of the diminished seventh repeat every 1-1/2 steps up or down the scale. The diminished seventh chord is not diatonic to the major scale; instead it is derived from the harmonic minor scale.
Flat-Five Substitution (Tri-tone)
Another kind of chord substitution which is often used in pop and jazz music is know as flat-five substitution. This substitution is made by replacing a dominant chord with a new dominant chord whose root is a diminished fifth interval above the original chordÕs root. For example, in the key of C major, a Gdom7 (G7) could be replaced with a Dbdom7 (Db7). (G to Db is a diminished fifth interval.) This is not a diatonic substitution because Db does not belong to C major. However, the two chords do share a tritone interval.
Another kind of chord substitution which is often used in pop and jazz music is know as flat-five substitution. This substitution is made by replacing a dominant chord with a new dominant chord whose root is a diminished fifth interval above the original chordÕs root. For example, in the key of C major, a Gdom7 (G7) could be replaced with a Dbdom7 (Db7). (G to Db is a diminished fifth interval.) This is not a diatonic substitution because Db does not belong to C major. However, the two chords do share a tritone interval.
A tritone interval is actually a diminished fifth (or augmented fourth) interval. This interval is made up of three whole steps, thus the name tritone. This substitution works because these two chords resolve to the tonic chord in similar ways.
In the key of C the dominant chord is Gdom7. The flatted fifth of Gdom7 is Dbdom7, which becomes the substitute chord. The example below shows that the second and fourth notes of these two dominant chords resolve to the first and second notes of the tonic chord by descending or ascending one half-step.
Another reason this substitution works, even though it is not diatonic, is that the root of the substitute chord which creates harmonic tension descends one half-step to the root of the tonic, creating a descending chromatic bass line. The tritone interval of the original dominant chord and its flatted-fifth substitute allow the tension created by these chords to be released by the tonic chord.
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