Banjo · Level 9 · Expert
Tritone substitution in A♭ major on Banjo
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A tritone substitution replaces V7 with the dominant chord a tritone away. The bass then slides down by half steps into I — a signature jazz sound.
B♭m7
Notes: B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭
A7
Notes: A · C♯ · E · G
A♭maj7
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: B♭m7, A7 and A♭maj7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- The short fifth string (g) is only played open; let it ring when it fits the chord.
- Set the tempo to 75 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Play the bass line alone first: it moves down a half step from ♭II7 to I.
- Pinch the bass and top strings on beat one, then roll thumb–index–middle through the other strings.
- Raise the tempo to 100 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the chromatic slide in the bass.
Listen for
Aim for the chromatic slide in the bass. A common mistake is thinking of ♭II7 as a random chord rather than a stand-in for V7.
Why it works
V7 and ♭II7 share the same tritone between their third and seventh, so either can resolve to I.
A♭ major has 4 flats; its relative minor key is F minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii7–♭II7–Imaj7 in A♭ major?
In A♭ major the progression is B♭m7 | A7 | A♭maj7 | A♭maj7.
What is the key signature of A♭ major?
A♭ major has 4 flats. Its relative minor is F minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 9 lesson (expert). If it feels too hard, start with “Altered dominant chords”.
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