Using chord substitutions with jazz lines

Chord Substitutions are a great way to add creative phrases, tension and modern jazz technique to your improvisation and playing. Watch the video to listen to how each of the different chord substitution options sound when played using the same lick (in this case it’s the first bar of Charlie Parker’s Anthropology).

A great way to build a foundation for this technique is to work through my jazz book entitled ‘Jazz Lines Over II-V Chords’ which you can download from the shop or buy on Amazon.

Here’s a list of the different chord substitution options that are looked at in the video.

Chord substitutions FOR the chord are:

• Tritone

• Up a Minor 3rd

• Down a Major 3rd

Chord substitutions AGAINST the chord are:

• Up a Major 3rd

• Up a Semi-tone

• Down a Semi-tone

The idea with chord substitutions in jazz improvisation is that when you’re playing over a certain chord, let’s say D7, rather than playing a line that works diatonically on D7, you play as if you were playing over a different dominant 7 chord e.g. Ab7 (tritone substitution). So then you’d play a line that works diatonically over Ab7. It will sound intentional, but crunchy and tension-building.

I hope you enjoy practicing and using these chord substitutions in your playing.