Tritone substitutions

Would you think of subbing a F#7 for a C7 chord? Actually, you can, and in this post, I am going to explain
why it works. This is a little deep but hang in there with me and you will soon have a new substitution to
use
This substitution is called a tritone substitution, so lets make sure we understand what a tritone is. A tritone
is an interval of 3 whole steps (exactly half of an octave). Therefore, a tritone substitution means subbing
Ab for D, B for F, etc. This substitution works for all dominant chords.
The idea of subbing F#7 for C7 seems strange if you are playing in a key like perhaps F. But there is a
reason why it works and it has to do with function. Function refers to how a chord works in the context of a
songfor example, whether it wants to resolve or not, and if so, where it wants to resolve to.
Lets examine the function for a dominant chord. Here is C7:

The 5th is unimportant in a dominant chord so lets ignore it for the time being. What I want you to notice is
the 3rd and 7th. First, note that the interval between a 3rd and 7th in a dominant chord is a tritone itself. In
this example, E and Bb are a tritone apart.

The dominant chord is unstable because of that tritone, meaning that it wants to resolve. Tritones like to
resolve in contrary motion by half steps like this:


Note the chords that are created by the resolution. Resolving in by half step creates a F major chord and
resolving out by half step creates a B major chord.
In other words a C7 wants to resolve either down a fifth to F or down a half step to B. All dominant chords
are the same waythey naturally resolve down either a half step or a fifth.
Now, lets look at F#7, the dominant chord a tritone away from C:

Now, here is the chord again with the 5th removed. Note the tritone created by the 3rd and 7th.

You have probably noticed that the tritone interval here looks familiar. That is because contains the same
notes (E and Bb/A#) as the tritone interval in C7. If you resolve this tritone out by half step, you move to F
major. If you resolve in by half step, you move to B major.


So, C7 and F#7 are both chords that want to resolve and they both want to resolve to the same placesF and
B. Therefore, they are functionally the same chord!
Of course, they are not exactly the same chord in that they have some different notes. While the notes that
really matter (3rd and 7th) are identical, the other notes color the chord differently. That is a topic for
another time.
But in the meantime, start experimenting with this chord substitution. It will sound strange at first
but you will learn to love it. I use it often, but one place you will especially notice it is in Saviour
Like a Shepherd on Portraits of Hope.