piano.org › Chord Progressions › Chord Substitutions Tritone subs, secondary dominants, backdoor progressions, modal interchange — the reharmonization toolkit.
Editorial content for this topic is in progress. The interactive player and pattern data are live below.
Hear the pattern Interactive player — try the progression in any of the 18 keys, switch modes, and adjust tempo to find the feel you want.
ii7 Dm7 ♭II7 Db7 Imaj7 Cmaj7
ii7 › Dm7
Key C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B Cb
Voice leading off Sounds a little stiff and jumpy? There’s a reason — turn on voice leading →
Toggle voice leading in the player to hear it smooth out, or learn voice leading →
Formula V7 → ♭II7 · iv – ♭VII7 – I · vi ↔ I
Function See "About" below for harmonic role.
Sound its alchemical, color-shifting transformation
Common in "Lady Bird" — Tadd Dameron · Coltrane's "Giant Steps" cycle · Bach's chromatic sequences
Famous "Lady Bird" — Tadd Dameron · Coltrane's "Giant Steps" cycle · Bach's chromatic sequences
The electric violet palette on this page is inspired by music-color synesthesia — chord substitutions maps to electric violet, reflecting its alchemical, color-shifting transformation.
About Chord Substitutions Tritone subs, secondary dominants, backdoor progressions, modal interchange — the reharmonization toolkit.
Variations Variation Another way the pattern shows up in real music.
iv7 Fm7 ♭VII7 Bb7 Imaj7 Cmaj7
iv7 › Fm7
Key C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B Cb
Voice leading off Sounds a little stiff and jumpy? There’s a reason — turn on voice leading →
Variation Another way the pattern shows up in real music.
I C V/V D V G I C
I › C
Key C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B Cb
Voice leading off Sounds a little stiff and jumpy? There’s a reason — turn on voice leading →
Variation Another way the pattern shows up in real music.
i Cm ♭II6 Db V G i Cm
i › Cm
Key C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B Cb
Voice leading off Sounds a little stiff and jumpy? There’s a reason — turn on voice leading →
Famous songs & pieces "Lady Bird" — Tadd Dameron Coltrane's "Giant Steps" cycle Bach's chromatic sequences Frequently asked questions What is a chord substitutions progression? Tritone subs, secondary dominants, backdoor progressions, modal interchange — the reharmonization toolkit.
How do I use this on the piano? Start with the player above in C. Once the pattern is in your ear, transpose to the keys you actually play in. The Roman numerals stay the same; only the chord names change.
Build your own progression Open the Chord Progression Generator — pick a key, follow the weighted arrows of what usually comes next, hear it play, and link straight to each chord. Generate your own → ← Previous
Pedal Points
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Modal Progressions