Mandolin · Level 9 · Expert
Tritone substitution in B major on Mandolin
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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.
C♯m7
Notes: C♯ · E · G♯ · B
C7
Notes: C · E · G · B♭
Bmaj7
Notes: B · D♯ · F♯ · A♯
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: C♯m7, C7 and Bmaj7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Mandolin frets are close together, so reach with the fingertips and press each pair of strings evenly.
- 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.
- Strum down on every beat, then try the bluegrass “chop”: a short, muted strum on beats two and four.
- 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.
B major has 5 sharps; its relative minor key is G♯ minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii7–♭II7–Imaj7 in B major?
In B major the progression is C♯m7 | C7 | Bmaj7 | Bmaj7.
What is the key signature of B major?
B major has 5 sharps. Its relative minor is G♯ 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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