Beefing Up ii-V-I lines, Part 2

by Ted Ludwig

Welcome to the second installment of Beefing Up Your ii-V-I lines. In the first installment in the October 2004 issue, we talked about some creative ways of approaching this very common progression. In this lesson we will deal with some common chord substitutions that work with the V7 chord. These substitutions can add some interesting tonal colors to your improvising palette. We will deal with three chord substitutions that work with the V7 chord. These substitutions have been used for decades by many great jazz improvisers.

The first substitution that we will deal with is the Sub-Dominant Minor. The Sub-Dominant is the IV chord in a harmonized major scale. As you probably all know, the IV chord is a Major 7 chord. For this substitution the IV chord will assume a minor7 chord quality and will be played against the V7 chord in the ii-V-I.

For example, the ii-V-I in C Major is D-7/G7/CMaj7.
With the Sub-Dominant minor substitution, it would become D-7/F-7/CMaj7.
Using the sub-dominant minor against the original chords (D-7/G7alt/CMaj7) will also create some interesting results. Here are some examples that demonstrate the Sub-Dominant Minor approach:

Another important substitution is the Tritone Substitution. This is one of the most common substitutions used in jazz improvisation. The V7 chord will be substituted by another dominant7 chord a tritone (three whole tones or b5) away. In the key of C Major the tritone sub for the V7 chord would be a Db7 chord. We can also substitute the preceding ii-7 relative to our Db7. We would then play:

D-7/Ab-7 Db7/CMaj7. Use this substitution against the original D-7/G7alt/CMaj7 progression. Here are some examples that demonstrate the Tritone Sub approach:

The third substitution that can be used is the Flat 7th minor approach. If we are in the key of C Major, then the Bb-7 chord or arpeggio can be substituted for the G7alt. The Bb minor pentatonic scale can also work well against the G7alt chord since all of the notes are present in the Ab melodic minor scale.

Here are some examples using the Flat 7th minor approach:

I sincerely hope that you derive some great sounds from this lesson. Be sure to create some of your own lines using the substitutions presented here. Remember to always consider the music first. The material presented in this lesson should be regarded only as a means to explore new harmonic/melodic colors. Always put the melody first on your list of improvising priorities.

Until next time- Happy Picking!
Ted Ludwig