How to Play Chromatic Passing Chords for Gospel, Jazz & Neo Soul

A tritone substitution is a dominant chord that is a tritone away from the original dominant chord. For example, F7 can substitute for B7 because they share the same tritone interval. A secondary dominant is a dominant chord that leads to a chord other than the tonic. For example, E7 is the secondary dominant of A minor, creating a stronger resolution to the A chord. These techniques add harmonic movement and sophistication to the arrangement.

A secondary dominant is a chord built on the fifth scale degree of another chord, creating tension before resolving. Tritone substitution involves replacing a dominant chord with another dominant chord a tritone away, which creates a more dramatic and 'evil' sound. In the diabolical progression (A flat major - G major - C minor - E flat major), G major functions as the V chord of C minor, and the chromatic movement from A flat to G creates the characteristic dark, evil quality associated with this progression.

Tritone substitution replaces a dominant seven chord with another dominant seven chord a tritone away. This works because both chords share the same third and seventh notes (inverted), preserving the chord's fundamental character while introducing chromatic tension. The technique applies to any dominant chord resolving to a tonic. In the 2-5-1 progression, substituting G7 with D♭7 creates a chromatic walk-down effect. Secondary dominance expands possibilities by adding V chords before each chord, generating multiple substitution opportunities. In circle-of-fifths progressions like 3-6-2-5-1, converting chords to secondary dominants enables sophisticated chromatic voice leading through strategic tritone substitutions.

A secondary dominant passing chord is used when going from the one chord to the five chord. The secondary dominant is a dominant seventh chord that resolves to the two chord. In the key of G, an A7 chord is used as a secondary dominant because it's not diatonic to the key. Tritone substitution involves using a dominant seventh chord separated by an augmented fourth distance (a tritone). In the key of G, an Eb7 or D#7 can substitute for the A7 chord because the distance from A to D# is an augmented fourth.

Secondary dominant substitution replaces a diatonic minor seven chord with a dominant seventh chord that functions as a leading tone to that chord, creating stronger harmonic weight through tonicization. Tritone substitution replaces a dominant chord with another dominant chord a tritone away, always a half step above the target chord. Both techniques exploit harmonic relationships to create tension and resolution. The one-three-five-seven voicing structure underlies all examples, with hinge notes adding extension and color. These substitutions demonstrate how musicians can transform predictable progressions into expressive vehicles by understanding functional harmony and voice-leading principles.

Upper structure triads are triads played on top of shell voicings, containing at least one tension (9, 11, or 13). For example, a C major triad on top of B♭7 creates tensions C (9), E (♯11), and G (13). A G major triad on top of Cmaj7 creates the ninth D. This technique allows players to add color and extension to basic shell voicings while maintaining the essential guide tones.

Professional jazz pianists use 'upper structure triads' to transform ordinary dominant seventh chords into colorful harmonies by removing the fifth from the chord and placing a major triad on top; the five essential upper structures are built on the 2nd (D major over C7), flat 3rd (Eb major over C7), flat 5th (Gb major over C7), flat 6th (Ab major over C7), and 6th (A major over C7) notes of the root, creating chord extensions like 9, 11, and 13 that add depth and interest to jazz progressions.

For C7 flat 9 (C-E-G-Bb-Df), upper structure triads are G diminished (dominant 7 flat 9) and Bb-Df-F# (F major in first inversion, dominant 9 flat 5). The dominant diminished scale has natural fifth and sixth, while the altered dominant scale has sharp fifth (flat 13). For C7 sharp 5 (C-E-G#-Bb), triads are G diminished and Bb-Df-F#. For C altered scale (C-Eb-G-Bb-Df-F-Af), triads are C diminished (dominant 7 flat 9), C augmented (dominant 7 sharp 5), C# minor, and Eb minor. The altered scale has enharmonic relationships that make spelling confusing. Understanding these triads requires memorization due to complex enharmonic relationships.

This comprehensive segment covers two essential advanced piano voicing techniques. First, hybrid chords combine basic chord structures with upper extensions by building in thirds (root, third, fifth, seventh) and adding tensions (9th, 11th, 13th), then strategically removing supporting notes like the third to create upper structure triads for harmonic ambiguity. Second, voicings in fourths stack chord tones at perfect fourth intervals, commonly used in big band arrangements to create distinctive harmonic textures. The video explains how keyboardists typically use three-part voicings with the right hand playing upper structures while the left hand provides bass notes, and how inverted bass voicings transform harsh root-position sounds into sweeter, more sophisticated harmonies.

Diminished arpeggios (minor thirds stacked) can be played from any chord tone of an altered dominant chord except the root. They create tension that resolves to the tonic chord. The diminished scale provides the theoretical foundation. Chromatic approach notes target chord tones by moving chromatically from below or above. Effective diminished lines incorporate diminished arpeggios, altered scale tones, and chromatic passing tones. The combination of diminished arpeggios and chromaticism creates the characteristic sound of advanced jazz improvisation.

The altered scale (seventh mode of melodic minor) and half-whole diminished scale are two distinct sonic color palettes for dominant chords, each producing different harmonic tensions and resolutions; the half-whole diminished offers a more major-flavored sound with natural 13ths, while the altered scale provides a darker, minor-flavored sound with flat 13ths and sharp 11s, and both can be practiced through ascending/descending exercises and triad pair voicings to develop their unique sounds in improvisation.

The diminished scale can be introduced in 2-5-1 progressions by using the scale from the V chord over the ii chord. Practice specific patterns: playing the scale over 2-5-1, descending patterns, and thirds minor patterns. All patterns should be practiced in all twelve tonalities. The thirds minor pattern creates a more melodic sound while still using diminished scale notes, adding sophistication to your improvisation.

The half-whole diminished scale (also called the half-whole diminished scale) is a symmetrical 8-note scale that works over dominant chords, where each note is a half step or whole step from the previous one; for example, over a G7 chord, you would use a G# diminished scale. This scale creates tension and color that resolves back to the tonic, and musicians can play 'outside' the chord as long as they resolve properly. The key difference between jazz improvisation and rock/blues improvisation is that jazz requires highlighting chord changes and their movement, while rock/blues focuses more on creating melodies within a key center.

The dominant diminished scale (half-step, whole-step pattern) is essential for creating pro-sounding jazz lines over dominant seventh chords, as it provides access to altered notes like flat nine, sharp nine, sharp eleven, and thirteen that add sophisticated color to jazz improvisation.