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D♭ major · Tritone substitution

Tritone substitutions in D flat major

A dominant seventh can be replaced by the dominant seventh a tritone away, because the two share the notes that do the resolving. In D♭ major, A♭7 becomes E♭♭7: both contain C and G♭, which E♭♭7 spells D♭♭ and G♭. The bass then falls a semitone onto D♭ instead of a fifth.

Every dominant in D♭ major, and its substitute

  • V7
    subV7

    E♭♭7 substitutes for A♭7, the dominant of D♭ major. They share the same tritone, so the bass can fall a semitone instead of a fifth. Shared notes: C and G♭ in A♭7, D♭♭ and G♭ in E♭♭7.

  • V7/ii
    subV7/ii

    F♭7 substitutes for B♭7, the dominant of E♭ minor. They share the same tritone, so the bass can fall a semitone instead of a fifth. Shared notes: D and A♭ in B♭7, E♭♭ and A♭ in F♭7.

  • C7V7/iiiFm
    subV7/iiiFm

    G♭7 substitutes for C7, the dominant of F minor. They share the same tritone, so the bass can fall a semitone instead of a fifth. Shared notes: E and B♭ in C7, F♭ and B♭ in G♭7.

  • V7/IV
    G7subV7/IV

    G7 substitutes for D♭7, the dominant of G♭ major. They share the same tritone, so the bass can fall a semitone instead of a fifth. Shared notes: F and C♭ in D♭7, F and B in G7.

  • V7/V
    subV7/V

    B♭♭7 substitutes for E♭7, the dominant of A♭ major. They share the same tritone, so the bass can fall a semitone instead of a fifth. Shared notes: G and D♭ in E♭7, A♭♭ and D♭ in B♭♭7.

  • F7V7/vi
    subV7/vi

    C♭7 substitutes for F7, the dominant of B♭ minor. They share the same tritone, so the bass can fall a semitone instead of a fifth. Shared notes: A and E♭ in F7, B♭♭ and E♭ in C♭7.

Why the substitute works

What makes a dominant seventh want to resolve is the tritone between its third and its seventh. Move the root a tritone and that interval is still there, with its two notes swapped: the third becomes the seventh and the seventh becomes the third. So the substitute pulls to the same place, and the bass slides down a semitone to get there.

Play the two buttons in each row one after the other. Same arrival, different road.

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