Tritone Substitution: the one jazz piano trick you need to know

► Free Jazz Piano Crash Course: Tritone Substitution is a reharmonisation technique that can be used to add harmonic interest and variety to a chord progression. Tritone substitutions are also knows as substitute dominants or sub 5’s so be aware that these 3 terms refer to the same thing. This lesson will explain what tritone substitution is, why it works and how to apply it to a major 251 progression. What Is A Tritone? A tritone is an interval of 3 whole steps or 6 half steps on the piano. The tritone marks exactly half of the octave. Here’s a few examples:  C to F# is a tritone.  D to Ab is a tritone  F to B is a tritone You will be glad to hear that there are only 6 tritones that you need to learn. This is because tritones are symmetrical when inverted in the sense that you still have a tritone interval. What Is Tritone Substitution?