Hello,
Are there some rules or tips for chord substitutions to keep a chord progression interesting?
Thanks!
About chord substitutions
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- KVRAF
- 1800 posts since 10 Feb, 2007
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- KVRAF
- 7852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008
It really depends on what you are going for. If one gets too busy with alterations and substitutions progressions can easily get "mushy" and pull interest away from your melodic line.
In rock, you don't want to use a lot of extensions/alterations/substitutions. What is more common is either the repeated "riff" that is transposed with the chord. Sus4, ninths, and 6th or dominant 7th patterns. Save the more colorful stuff for the bridge. Each section of a song should be very different from one another while maintaining key (really you should only have two at most keys in a pop song) Key changes are more dramatic when they are direct break clean from one key for the verse and another for the chorus.
Flat5 subs (tritone) are best used minimally when first starting out. Meaning just a measure or two. Any dominant 7 chord can be substituted with it's Flat5
EG the Flattend Fifth of G is Db So if you are playing a G7 chord you can play a C#7 as a a sub. Actually you can substitute any dominant 7 chord with another chord that uses the 3rd and the 7th of your original chord. So form a dominant 7th chord look at the 3rd and the 7th notes and try to build chords from those tones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritone_substitution
Tritone substitution is very popular in Gospel and Jazz not so much in other mediums.
Chord progressions in real life can be as methodical as the standard fair found in books but also can be quite different and not be as locked down to the diatonic scale. Often they aren't simply substitutions, or alterations they are formed simply because they right at the time. Alot of interesting concepts were developed during the early 60's regarding generating chord progressions using the pentatonic scale. The most prevalent being Eric Clapton's work with Cream. There soon after you'll hear these type of structures in the Beatles (Back in the USSR) Rick Derringer, The Stones and an endless sea of rock players thru the 60's and 70's
Transposition is also an effective technique. If you have a repeating progression that recurs four times before the chorus it gets pretty boring. You can transpose an entire progresson up or down a full step via direct modulation and then back again. Take a look and listen to Reelin in the Years by Steely dan. Concern yourself with the verse
Watch the left hand that above all will show you the chord motion.
Passing and Neighboring chords.
They operate much like passing and neighboring tones. In Rock and Blues they often serve as a "Push" into the next measure they are approach chords. The difference between a neighboring and a passing chord is usually that a neighboring chord does not have to relate to the previous chord it's focus is on getting to the next chord. Usually by a half or whole step either from above or below the target chord and is often only presented in the last quarter note (beat four or thereafter) of the measure before the target chord.
Passing chords are much more popular in jazz and gospel Especially older jazz standards such as "Aint Misbehavin" by Fats Waller. Passing chords often use diminished chords on beat three to connect the previous chord chromatically with the next chord.
An idealized version of Ain't Misbehaven in G would be read as:
|GMaj7 G#dim }Amin7 Bbdim| Bmin} Emin7|CMaj7 Cmin7 |
|Bmin7 E7 | Amin7 D7 ||GMaj7 G#dim | Amin7 D7 |
In the first measure G#dim serves as a passing chord the second time it appears it appears as a substitution. the I-vi-ii-V7 was a common turnaround treatment that evolved into it's own progression. What makes a G#dim a 6th chord in the key of G you ask? It's a double substitution. What is the vi chord in the key of G? Eminor. The most common of substitutions is replacing a relative major with it's relative minor. Any 6th chord with a b7 can be substituted with a dominant 7 chord So Emin becomes Emin7 Which becomes E7. G#dim7 Contains the following notes. G#-B-D three notes also contained in the E7 chord. The B and D are the pivot point for a b5 or tritone substitution.
What is important to remember is context. Music contrary to belief is not universal in application. What may work in a jazz or gospel area may not work in a rock, blues or country or other forms of music.
Lets talk about chord structure.
On guitar specific notes may be omitted as the chord is extended. An A11 may skip the 3rd and the 5th and build up from the 7th. So what you would have is A-G-B-D it has less relevance in jazz then it does in pop/rock. where it is treated as an over chord. It is represented G/A the chord name is shown first which is G then the bass alteration follows the / slash over. Even though the literal value of the Chord could be treated as playing over a A dom7 or Aminor7 extension more often then not the melodic line works with the G chord. The bass preserves the over value so it would be represented by A and usually D which would otherwise imply a D chord which it is not. Over chords can use any tone from the chromatic scale as the lowest note. However Non diatonic tones and the Major 7th should be avoided in pop/rock/R&B, country et all. Those usually only work well in 12 tone or atonal jazz type settings.
11 and 13 chords
Jazz is resplendent with altered chords, and one will often encounter an Alt chord. An Alt chord is where the 5th is moved up or down a half step. In jazz the important notes of a chord are.. the root, the third and the seventh note. The fifth can and often does take a back seat or is omitted from the voicing especially jazz guitar "comping" chords. We've already taken a look at the 11th chord which is treated like an "over" chord in pop/rock. Lets take a look at the 13th chord. If we spell out the G13 chord literally we get.
i-3-5-7(dominant)9-11-13 Well that's the entire mixolydian scale which would sound very thick and unmanageable indeed if we tried to voice every note. A more common voicing would be 1-7-3(10)-13 this more spread out version is a lot easier on the ears and fingers and is very very common as a treatment for the chord on the guitar.
Altered Chords
If we pull the 13th note back one we get a #5 note or a b13th This is an altered chord if we avoid the 5th and keep the 7th. It is an augmented chord if we lose the 7th. With the G7th You can think of it as belonging to the Cminor Harmonic or melodic scale when using the 7th note or even the whole tone scale.. This doesn't belong to the world of jazz alone though it is rare it can be seen in rockablily and other musical forms as well.
Another point regarding altered chords is the m7b5 The diminished chord is built on perfect minor thirds B-D-F-Ab is a perfect diminished four part harmony as each note is a minor third above or below each other note. The m7b5 is not a perfect diminished chord because of the 7th though often though of as interchangeable with the perfect diminished chord it isn't. This is often used as a substitution or a passing chord. Lets take a look at the BbMaj7 Bb-D-F-A. Notice the similarity with the Bm7b5 chord? Yes it could be considered an "Over" chord but more often then not it's simply considered a sub. As with most chords of this nature you can avoid the 5th all together if you must use the root followed by the 5th then the third then the 7th in your voicing. Becareful of the instrument you choose and the range in which you play it. As it can get real muddy real quick in the mid to lower range especially with dense instruments such as organs. Another substitution where this can be used is in replacing the 7/9 chord of G is for use replacing
G79= G-B-D-F-A Bm7b5= B-D-F-A. Pianist refer to these as "rootless Chords" personally I don't like the term because the root is often played by other musicians in the band (usually the bassist)
Harmonic Justification and re harmonization.
Quite a number of the works of Paul McCartney both with the Beatles and afterwards use this technique. So do many of the works of Irving Berlin. Harmonic justification is when you pull a chord out of your hat that fits the note you are trying to harmonize with regardless if the chord fits the key structure. It's actually harder not easier to pull off the more one embraces cookie cutter theory. While the dominant seven sharp nine chord is common in quite a few jazz tunes most rockers never heard of it till Jimi Hendrix ala Purple Haze the E7#9 chord is often referred to as "The Jimi chord" It was a means to justify an E minor blues phrase against a dominant 7 chord. both the b9 and the #9 can be used as extentions of the dominant7 chord you can use it to add a little richness to the chord or as a means to support a melodic line that would not fit else-wise.
Not all melodic structures follow chord progressions in lockstep. Many times they are simply key centric. You can play different chords against the same melody in the same key and it will work without having to go for chord extensions and alterations. It requires that you know the melody very very well and you aren't trapped by the chord progression too much.
Nothing is carved in stone. It is also quite easy to transpose even by small degree the melody and then provide a completely different harmony to support it.
Take a look at the chorus to "Rikki Don't lose that number The verse over the E7 chord is almost identical to the verse over the Cmaj7 chord it has been transposed one scale note. The chords themselves are not transposed they are reharmonized to support the melody. Although they aren't fully out of key as the chords are more "tonal center" then key specific.
Here is what it looks like in context so you can see and hear how the melodic line in the chorus works with the chords.
http://tappermike.com/kvr/rikkichorus.html
and here is the actual chord progression for the chorus
A good melody line is memorable in the context that it is repeatable however you can sequence (shift the melodic motif while preserving it's directionality) as well as embellishing it and juxtaposition different call/responses. Along those lines you can also use simple re harmonization to construct a different progression which supports the melody line without having to take the harmony too far out of context with the tonal center/key or resorting to elaborate chord extensions.
In rock, you don't want to use a lot of extensions/alterations/substitutions. What is more common is either the repeated "riff" that is transposed with the chord. Sus4, ninths, and 6th or dominant 7th patterns. Save the more colorful stuff for the bridge. Each section of a song should be very different from one another while maintaining key (really you should only have two at most keys in a pop song) Key changes are more dramatic when they are direct break clean from one key for the verse and another for the chorus.
Flat5 subs (tritone) are best used minimally when first starting out. Meaning just a measure or two. Any dominant 7 chord can be substituted with it's Flat5
EG the Flattend Fifth of G is Db So if you are playing a G7 chord you can play a C#7 as a a sub. Actually you can substitute any dominant 7 chord with another chord that uses the 3rd and the 7th of your original chord. So form a dominant 7th chord look at the 3rd and the 7th notes and try to build chords from those tones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritone_substitution
Tritone substitution is very popular in Gospel and Jazz not so much in other mediums.
Chord progressions in real life can be as methodical as the standard fair found in books but also can be quite different and not be as locked down to the diatonic scale. Often they aren't simply substitutions, or alterations they are formed simply because they right at the time. Alot of interesting concepts were developed during the early 60's regarding generating chord progressions using the pentatonic scale. The most prevalent being Eric Clapton's work with Cream. There soon after you'll hear these type of structures in the Beatles (Back in the USSR) Rick Derringer, The Stones and an endless sea of rock players thru the 60's and 70's
Transposition is also an effective technique. If you have a repeating progression that recurs four times before the chorus it gets pretty boring. You can transpose an entire progresson up or down a full step via direct modulation and then back again. Take a look and listen to Reelin in the Years by Steely dan. Concern yourself with the verse
Watch the left hand that above all will show you the chord motion.
Passing and Neighboring chords.
They operate much like passing and neighboring tones. In Rock and Blues they often serve as a "Push" into the next measure they are approach chords. The difference between a neighboring and a passing chord is usually that a neighboring chord does not have to relate to the previous chord it's focus is on getting to the next chord. Usually by a half or whole step either from above or below the target chord and is often only presented in the last quarter note (beat four or thereafter) of the measure before the target chord.
Passing chords are much more popular in jazz and gospel Especially older jazz standards such as "Aint Misbehavin" by Fats Waller. Passing chords often use diminished chords on beat three to connect the previous chord chromatically with the next chord.
An idealized version of Ain't Misbehaven in G would be read as:
|GMaj7 G#dim }Amin7 Bbdim| Bmin} Emin7|CMaj7 Cmin7 |
|Bmin7 E7 | Amin7 D7 ||GMaj7 G#dim | Amin7 D7 |
In the first measure G#dim serves as a passing chord the second time it appears it appears as a substitution. the I-vi-ii-V7 was a common turnaround treatment that evolved into it's own progression. What makes a G#dim a 6th chord in the key of G you ask? It's a double substitution. What is the vi chord in the key of G? Eminor. The most common of substitutions is replacing a relative major with it's relative minor. Any 6th chord with a b7 can be substituted with a dominant 7 chord So Emin becomes Emin7 Which becomes E7. G#dim7 Contains the following notes. G#-B-D three notes also contained in the E7 chord. The B and D are the pivot point for a b5 or tritone substitution.
What is important to remember is context. Music contrary to belief is not universal in application. What may work in a jazz or gospel area may not work in a rock, blues or country or other forms of music.
Lets talk about chord structure.
On guitar specific notes may be omitted as the chord is extended. An A11 may skip the 3rd and the 5th and build up from the 7th. So what you would have is A-G-B-D it has less relevance in jazz then it does in pop/rock. where it is treated as an over chord. It is represented G/A the chord name is shown first which is G then the bass alteration follows the / slash over. Even though the literal value of the Chord could be treated as playing over a A dom7 or Aminor7 extension more often then not the melodic line works with the G chord. The bass preserves the over value so it would be represented by A and usually D which would otherwise imply a D chord which it is not. Over chords can use any tone from the chromatic scale as the lowest note. However Non diatonic tones and the Major 7th should be avoided in pop/rock/R&B, country et all. Those usually only work well in 12 tone or atonal jazz type settings.
11 and 13 chords
Jazz is resplendent with altered chords, and one will often encounter an Alt chord. An Alt chord is where the 5th is moved up or down a half step. In jazz the important notes of a chord are.. the root, the third and the seventh note. The fifth can and often does take a back seat or is omitted from the voicing especially jazz guitar "comping" chords. We've already taken a look at the 11th chord which is treated like an "over" chord in pop/rock. Lets take a look at the 13th chord. If we spell out the G13 chord literally we get.
i-3-5-7(dominant)9-11-13 Well that's the entire mixolydian scale which would sound very thick and unmanageable indeed if we tried to voice every note. A more common voicing would be 1-7-3(10)-13 this more spread out version is a lot easier on the ears and fingers and is very very common as a treatment for the chord on the guitar.
Altered Chords
If we pull the 13th note back one we get a #5 note or a b13th This is an altered chord if we avoid the 5th and keep the 7th. It is an augmented chord if we lose the 7th. With the G7th You can think of it as belonging to the Cminor Harmonic or melodic scale when using the 7th note or even the whole tone scale.. This doesn't belong to the world of jazz alone though it is rare it can be seen in rockablily and other musical forms as well.
Another point regarding altered chords is the m7b5 The diminished chord is built on perfect minor thirds B-D-F-Ab is a perfect diminished four part harmony as each note is a minor third above or below each other note. The m7b5 is not a perfect diminished chord because of the 7th though often though of as interchangeable with the perfect diminished chord it isn't. This is often used as a substitution or a passing chord. Lets take a look at the BbMaj7 Bb-D-F-A. Notice the similarity with the Bm7b5 chord? Yes it could be considered an "Over" chord but more often then not it's simply considered a sub. As with most chords of this nature you can avoid the 5th all together if you must use the root followed by the 5th then the third then the 7th in your voicing. Becareful of the instrument you choose and the range in which you play it. As it can get real muddy real quick in the mid to lower range especially with dense instruments such as organs. Another substitution where this can be used is in replacing the 7/9 chord of G is for use replacing
G79= G-B-D-F-A Bm7b5= B-D-F-A. Pianist refer to these as "rootless Chords" personally I don't like the term because the root is often played by other musicians in the band (usually the bassist)
Harmonic Justification and re harmonization.
Quite a number of the works of Paul McCartney both with the Beatles and afterwards use this technique. So do many of the works of Irving Berlin. Harmonic justification is when you pull a chord out of your hat that fits the note you are trying to harmonize with regardless if the chord fits the key structure. It's actually harder not easier to pull off the more one embraces cookie cutter theory. While the dominant seven sharp nine chord is common in quite a few jazz tunes most rockers never heard of it till Jimi Hendrix ala Purple Haze the E7#9 chord is often referred to as "The Jimi chord" It was a means to justify an E minor blues phrase against a dominant 7 chord. both the b9 and the #9 can be used as extentions of the dominant7 chord you can use it to add a little richness to the chord or as a means to support a melodic line that would not fit else-wise.
Not all melodic structures follow chord progressions in lockstep. Many times they are simply key centric. You can play different chords against the same melody in the same key and it will work without having to go for chord extensions and alterations. It requires that you know the melody very very well and you aren't trapped by the chord progression too much.
Nothing is carved in stone. It is also quite easy to transpose even by small degree the melody and then provide a completely different harmony to support it.
Take a look at the chorus to "Rikki Don't lose that number The verse over the E7 chord is almost identical to the verse over the Cmaj7 chord it has been transposed one scale note. The chords themselves are not transposed they are reharmonized to support the melody. Although they aren't fully out of key as the chords are more "tonal center" then key specific.
Here is what it looks like in context so you can see and hear how the melodic line in the chorus works with the chords.
http://tappermike.com/kvr/rikkichorus.html
and here is the actual chord progression for the chorus
A good melody line is memorable in the context that it is repeatable however you can sequence (shift the melodic motif while preserving it's directionality) as well as embellishing it and juxtaposition different call/responses. Along those lines you can also use simple re harmonization to construct a different progression which supports the melody line without having to take the harmony too far out of context with the tonal center/key or resorting to elaborate chord extensions.
Dell Vostro i9 64GB Ram Windows 11 Pro, Cubase, Bitwig, Mixcraft Guitar Pod Go, Linntrument Nektar P1, Novation Launchpad
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- KVRAF
- 7852 posts since 20 Jan, 2008
there are also other methods and usages for powerchords, 9th add 9 add2 sus4 as well as add2 chords I just can't get into all of it right now.
Dell Vostro i9 64GB Ram Windows 11 Pro, Cubase, Bitwig, Mixcraft Guitar Pod Go, Linntrument Nektar P1, Novation Launchpad