This is our ii-V-I (With Tritone Sub) Chord Progression Workout in our our series of Chord Progression Workouts. The difference between this progression and a regular ii-V-I, is that the V7 chord is being substituted with another dominant 7 chord a tritone interval away. You can also think of a tritone as being 6 half-steps away from the root note. For example: Dm7-Db7-Cmaj7. In this case the V7 chord (G7) is being replaced by it’s tritone (Db7). Tritone substitutions are used all of the time in jazz, so it’s important to practice these! You’ll also notice that the thirds and sevenths of the V7 chord and the tritone sub use the exact same notes, which is why the voice leading works so well.
Play along with this exercise, which helps you practice this important progression in all 12 keys. It goes through the Circle of 4ths and each key is played twice. Use the chord charts below to see the exercise and use the play-along to practice!
Having trouble with any of these chords individually? Check out our Jazz Chord Workouts.
Practice more Chord Progression Workouts