New lesson: Tritone subs

bassandbeyond · #1 03-03-2010, 10:36 AM

Hi folks,

I just posted a new free lesson on my site:

Tritone Chord Substitution in Bass Lines

Hope it helps someone.

MalcolmAmos · #2 03-03-2010, 05:09 PM

Thanks for posting. That not something I use - I'll look into it, probably will have some questions.

BluesWalker · #3 03-03-2010, 05:20 PM

Nice site and lessons. That is the clearest explanation of a tritone sub I have seen. I will be buying your CD pretty soon, I liked a lot of the samples.

bassandbeyond · #4 03-03-2010, 07:19 PM

Thank you!

Feel free to ask questions, and I'll try to help.

clefface · #5 03-06-2010, 05:50 PM

would I be right in thinking for tri tone sub you just play the lowerd 5th of the chord being played to allow smoother progresion, or am i thinking of something else?

MalcolmAmos · #6 03-07-2010, 06:57 AM

Still fuzzy what Tritone Subs accomplish.

By lowering the 3rd and the 5th you make a diminished chord and the diminished chord is a leading tone chord. The V and viidim are both dominant. Want to resolve fast use the V, want to use a turn-a-round to the tonic use the viidim chord to start the turn-a-round. viidim-iii-vi-ii-V-I

No idea if that relates to Tritone Subs........

bassandbeyond · #7 03-07-2010, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clefface

would I be right in thinking for tri tone sub you just play the lowerd 5th of the chord being played to allow smoother progresion, or am i thinking of something else?

You're essentially correct. Tritone subs are best used on dominant chords functioning as the V of the following chord. This allows for chromatic root movement in bass lines. For example:

Dmin7 -- G7 -- CMaj7

would become:

Dmin7 -- Db7 -- CMaj7

That's why bassists like to use them. We only have to move our fingers down one fret at a time!

Please note that the dominant chord doesn't have to actually BE the V chord of the song's key, it just has to resolve to a chord up a 4th. So, to extend the previous example:

Emin7 -- A7 -- Dmin7 -- G7 -- CMaj7

could become:

Emin7 -- Eb7 -- Dmin7 -- Db7 -- CMaj7

One fret at a time. Nice!

bassandbeyond · #8 03-07-2010, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Still fuzzy what Tritone Subs accomplish.

By lowering the 3rd and the 5th you make a diminished chord and the diminished chord is a leading tone chord. The V and viidim are both dominant. Want to resolve fast use the V, want to use a turn-a-round to the tonic use the viidim chord to start the turn-a-round. viidim-iii-vi-ii-V-I

No idea if that relates to Tritone Subs........

You're referring to diatonic chord subs here....a simpler, more "inside" kind of substitution.

sedgwick1489 · #9 03-07-2010, 12:18 PM

Great lesson Doug. You also have a great website / CD. I've ordered a copy. Nice compositions.

All the best!

bassandbeyond · #10 03-07-2010, 05:38 PM

Thank you!

I also have lessons on my site explaining diatonic harmony and chord voicings for bass, which might help anyone still confused about tritone subs....

ericw · #11 08-05-2010, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassandbeyond

You're essentially correct. Tritone subs are best used on dominant chords functioning as the V of the following chord. This allows for chromatic root movement in bass lines. For example:

Dmin7 -- G7 -- CMaj7

would become:

Dmin7 -- Db7 -- CMaj7

That's why bassists like to use them. We only have to move our fingers down one fret at a time!

Please note that the dominant chord doesn't have to actually BE the V chord of the song's key, it just has to resolve to a chord up a 4th. So, to extend the previous example:

Emin7 -- A7 -- Dmin7 -- G7 -- CMaj7

could become:

Emin7 -- Eb7 -- Dmin7 -- Db7 -- CMaj7

Your post made it clear to me. Going to try this with some our band's originals

Ric5 · #12 08-05-2010, 07:37 AM

bassandbeyond · #13 08-05-2010, 11:01 AM

You're making me hungry!

Ewo · #14 08-05-2010, 11:25 AM

Hey, it don't get better than this:

1. A clear explanation of tritone substitution.

2. A good price on a CD of good tunes.

A suggestion for folks who were struggling with the tritone sub concept:

Think key of C major, and write the notes of the G7 chord, and then the notes of the Db7 chord. Check out how the B in the G7 chord and the F in the Db7 chord mirror each other, in that the leading tone in one is the dominant seventh in the other. (The B is C double-flat.)

Note the interval between the leading tone and seventh: a tritone. Same as the roots in this substitution!

IOW, since the third and seventh are the chord tones which define the dominant seventh, the substitution just reinterprets the harmonic meaning of the common pitches!

devine · #15 08-06-2010, 06:30 AM

Nice educational material and well written!

Scott.

http://www.scottsbasslessons.com
http://www.scottdevinemusic.com

bassandbeyond · #16 08-06-2010, 10:40 AM

Thanks for the very kind comments, folks. I promise to keep adding new lessons from time to time. And, by the way, nice lessons on your site, too, Scott!

tZer · #17 08-06-2010, 11:35 AM

Yes, thanks! I understand the mechanics of creating tritone substitutions, but struggle with how they are used. Your explanations really clear things up nicely! Now I have to go home, write up some examples and play through them to hear them in action.

longfinger · #18 08-06-2010, 02:02 PM

Hi there Mr. Ross,

Good description.

I would add that the essence of a tri-tone sub is the enharmonic re-evaluation of TWO intervals: dim 5th <=> Aug 4, AND m7 <=> Aug 6th.

ie. C, E, Bb, <=> C, E, A#

So while 3rd+7th = 7th+3rd...which you wrote, it's also true that root and minor seventh = root and augmented sixth.

C-Bb = m7 <=> C-A# Aug 6th

In a tonal context as part of a V7 chord, C +Bb resolve (inward) to F and A (or F and Ab);

while C and A# resolve (outward) to B and B.

C7 is also CAug6th and they each resolve melodically to tonic chords that are tri-tones apart from each other. (ie. F and B )

It's a 18thC way of thinking, (where the Aug6th also passes through a 6-4 chord before resolving), but it's a sound that started way back then, then got taken and put everywhere later on.

devine · #19 08-06-2010, 06:57 PM

Cheers for checking them out Doug!

Scott.

http://www.scottsbasslessons.com
http://www.scottdevinemusic.com

bassandbeyond · #20 08-06-2010, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longfinger

Hi there Mr. Ross,

Good description.

I would add that the essence of a tri-tone sub is the enharmonic re-evaluation of TWO intervals: dim 5th <=> Aug 4, AND m7 <=> Aug 6th.

ie. C, E, Bb, <=> C, E, A#

So while 3rd+7th = 7th+3rd...which you wrote, it's also true that root and minor seventh = root and augmented sixth.

C-Bb = m7 <=> C-A# Aug 6th

In a tonal context as part of a V7 chord, C +Bb resolve (inward) to F and A (or F and Ab);

while C and A# resolve (outward) to B and B.

C7 is also CAug6th and they each resolve melodically to tonic chords that are tri-tones apart from each other. (ie. F and B )

It's a 18thC way of thinking, (where the Aug6th also passes through a 6-4 chord before resolving), but it's a sound that started way back then, then got taken and put everywhere later on.

You have a very analytical mind (as do I)

. When I studied with Carol Kaye, she used to laugh at me for always trying to pick things apart analytically.

Sometimes, there may be such a thing as thinking too much! However you choose to explain it, it really just boils down to this: these two chords basically sound the same, so you can use them in the same places. Now go make music.