♭II–I

The tritone substitution replaces the dominant V with a chord a tritone away, creating a smooth half-step resolution to the tonic. This two-chord motion is one of the most distinctive sounds in jazz harmony.

Pattern: ♭II – I   Example in C Major: D♭ – C

Genre: jazz   Difficulty: advanced

Choose a Key

C Major D♭ – C G Major A♭ – G D Major E♭ – D A Major B♭ – A E Major F – E B Major C – B F♯ Major G – F♯ F Major G♭ – F B♭ Major B – B♭ E♭ Major E – E♭ A♭ Major A – A♭ D♭ Major D – D♭

Song Examples