Tritone sub and chromatic approach chords

Reharmonizing Dominant Motion

A tritone substitution replaces a dominant chord with another dominant whose root is a tritone away. In C, Db7 can stand in for G7 because the guide tones create a similar pull into tonic.

Chromatic approach chords work the same instinct from a broader angle: they approach a target chord by half-step from above or below.

These sounds are advanced because they preserve direction while changing the surface harmony.

Tritone Sub into Tonic

Study ii7-bII7-Imaj7 in C. The substituted dominant adds chromatic color while still resolving clearly into tonic.

Practice Chromatic Dominant Approaches

• Identify which dominant is functioning as a substitution
• Notice the half-step movement into the target chord
• Keep the tonic sound in mind so the chromatic color does not feel random
• Repeat until the altered dominant still feels functionally clear