REHARMONIZATION & SUBSTITUTIONS

 

Here is a synthetic list of options to consider when dealing with substitutions - re harmonis

ation.

SUBSTITUTIONS

On the V7 chord (or other 7th chords that assume the temporary function of the V degree in a cadential progression):

• IIm7 - Dm7 instead of V7
• bV7 – Db7 instead of G7
• V phrigian – G Phrigian instead of G7
• VIIdim7 – Bdim7 instead of G7
• When the 7th chord is built on the VI degree: bIIIdim7 – Ebdim7 instead of A7
• When the 7th chord is built on the II degree: III/II7 – E/D7

On the tonic chord:

• IIImin7 - Em7 instead of Cmaj7
• Notes that sing (with respect to the key, not to the chord): all, excellent the #11, rarely the tonic
• Voicings: all, pay attention to the 9 that comes out of the key (F# in instead of F)
•  III7alt - E7alt instead of Cmaj7
• bV7(b9 13) - Gb7(b9 13) instead of Cmaj7
• Notes that sing (with respect to the key, not the chord): essentially the V degree (G) that corresponds to the b9 of the substitute chord
• Voicing: I-bVII/III-13-b9 (Gb-Fb/Bb-Eb-Abb), easier to remember as VI/I7 (Eb/Gb7 that omits the third and fifth)
• On the IImi7 chord (or other E7 chords that assume the temporary function of the II degree in a cadential progression)
• IVmaj7
• IVm6
• IVm  maj7
• V7
• V Phrigian
• On the VIm7 chord
• On the IVmaj7 chord
• IVm7(b5) (F#m7b in (instead of Fmaj7)

APPROACHES 

maj7 (on the I and IV degrees: Cmaj7, Fmaj7):

• 7 chord a fourth below: G7 – Cmaj7
• 7alt chord a fourth below: G7alt – Cmaj7
• 7(#11) chord a semitone above: Db7(#11) – Cmaj7
• 7(#11) chord a semitone below: B7(#11) – Cmaj7
• 7alt chord a semitone below: B7alt – Cmaj7
• dim7 chord a semitone below: Bdim7 – Cmaj7

m7 (on the II, III and VI degrees: Dm7, Em7, Am7):

• E7 chord one semitone above (same voicing, parallelism; not used on the VI degree): Ebmi7 – Dmi7
• 7th chord (#11) one semitone above: Eb7(#11) – Dm7
• 7alt chord one fourth below
• dim7 chord one semitone below

7 (also secondary sevenths: G7 but also C7, E7, A7, D7 and so on):

• E7 chord one fourth below: Dm7 – G7 (practically the cadence is completed)
• E7(bV) chord one fourth below: Dm7(bV) – G7
• 7(#11) chord one fourth below: D7(#11) – G7
• 7sus chord one semitone above: Ab7sus – G7sus (same voicing, parallelism)
• 7(#11) chord one semitone above: Ab7(#11) – G7
• dim7 chord one semitone below: Gbdim7 – G7

These approaches can be “nested”, for example:

• Cmaj7 – Am7 becomes
• Cmaj7 – E7 (7 chord built a fourth below Am7) – Am7 which becomes
• Cmaj7 – Bmi7(bV) (E7(bV) chord built a fourth below E7) – E7 – Am7 which becomes

Or G7 – Cmaj7 becomes

• Ab7sus (7sus chord a semitone above G7) – G7sus – Cmaj7 which becomes
• Ebm7 (E7 chord built a fourth below Ab7) – Ab7 – G7 – Cmaj7 which becomes
• Ebm7 – Ab7 –Dm7 (E7 chord built a fourth below G7) – G7 – C7