Tritone Substitutions Fills – ‘Body & Soul’
In this lesson, we explore how to use tritone substitution to create interesting fills and melodic embellishments in ‘Body & Soul’. Tritone substitutions replace a dominant chord with a dominant chord a tritone (three whole steps) away, offering a fresh and colorful sound to standard 251 progressions.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently apply tritone subs in 2-5-1 progressions, experiment with altered chord voicings, and incorporate upper structure triads for harmonic movement.
What is Tritone Substitution?
A tritone substitution replaces a V7 chord with another dominant 7th chord located a tritone away (three whole steps).
For example, in a 2-5-1 progression:
- Standard: Eb-7 → Ab7 → Dbmaj7
- With a tritone sub: Eb-7 → D7 → Dbmaj7
Instead of playing Ab7, we replace it with D7, which shares key chord tones but introduces a different bass note and harmonic color. This creates a brighter, more open sound, especially when adding 9ths and 13ths.
Compare these two approaches:
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Standard V7 chord (Ab7alt)
- Ab7(b9, #5) → Dbmaj7
- Sounds tense and angular.
- Tritone Substituted V7 chord (D9)
- D7(9) → Dbmaj7
- Sounds warmer and more open.
By swapping Ab7♯5♭9 for D9, we create a smoother sound and a sweeter resolution.
Upper Structure Triads & Fill Techniques
Another way to enhance tritone subs is by using upper structure triads to add harmonic depth.
For example:
- Over Ab7#9#5, play an E triad in the right hand.
- Over D13#11, play an E triad for a bright and uplifting sound.
Though the triad stays the same, its function changes based on the bass note — creating vastly different harmonic colors.
When Tritone Subs Don’t Work
Not all dominant chords work well with a tritone sub. Sometimes, the melody or harmonic context clashes with the substitution.
For example:
- Substituting Bb7 for E7 in the first bar creates an unnatural sound.
- Likewise, replacing Gb7 with C7 can sound out of place.
Tritone subs work best in 2-5-1 progressions but require a trial and error approach to find what works best.
Related Lessons
In this lesson, we’re going to explore an important tritone relationship to help you quickly access altered dominant chord voicings in all keys.
We explore various ways to add harmonic interest over dominant chords using tritones. We use the tunes ‘Body and Soul’ and ‘Misty’.
Tritone Substitution is a useful reharmonisation technique that can be used to add harmonic interest and variety to a chord progression.
Practice Tips
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Start with Simple 2-5-1 Progressions – 251 progressions are an ideal harmonic situation to explore tritone substitution possibilities.
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Compare Altered & Non-Altered Sounds – Compare the original V7 chord and its tritone substitute to hear the contrast.
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Use Upper Structure Triads – Introduce Upper Structure Triads to add more depth and impact to tritone substitutes.
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Different Registers – Play tritone subs in different octaves to see where they sound best.
- Trust Your Ears – Some substitutions will sound great, others won’t. Always listen critically.
