Quick Tip #4: The Tritone

It’s time for another quick tip for anyone who is learning jazz improvisation. This is for when you want a little bit of inspiration and something new to try out, but you don’t want to get bogged down by lots of new theory and loads of different exercises.

The tritone is the interval of a diminished 5th or an augmented 4th, and as the name suggests it is also the interval of three tones.

The first way I recommend to use this interval is over a dominant 7 chord (over a blues is great!). This works so well because the important chord tones of the 3rd and the 7th just so happen to be the interval of a tritone on a dominant 7 chord. So this is a really quick and easy way to add some colour and interest into your jazz solos whilst keeping diatonic.

The second way to use the tritone is over a minor 7 chord, between the chord tones of the minor 3rd and the natural 6th.

Just remember to use it sparingly. Just like the blues scale, it sounds great when played now and then, but when you use it all the time that’s not so nice to listen to.

Why not try out this quick tip on one of the backing tracks I’ve provided here.

And if you liked this tip, there’s plenty more tuition and advice in my jazz improvisation books available in the shop.