How do you use tritone chords?

The tritone substitution can be performed by exchanging a dominant seventh chord for another dominant seven chord which is a tritone away from it. For example, in the key of C major one can use D♭7 instead of G7. (D♭ is a tritone away from G).

What is the tritone chord?

A tritone is the distance between the root and the #4. It used to be called the “devil’s interval”. Ironically, the tritone is the key ingredient in a Dominant 7th chord. The notes of a G7 chord are G-B-D-F. The B — F is a tritone.

What notes make up the devil’s tritone?

It is a tritone because F–G, G–A, and A–B are three adjacent whole tones. It is a fourth because the notes from F to B are four (F, G, A, B).

What is unique about the tritone?

The Definition of a Tritone This interval is also unique because it is exactly half of an octave, which is 12 semitones. For example, the interval F – B is a tritone. Because it is exactly half of an octave, the inverse of a tritone is also a tritone.

Why is it called tritone?

In music theory, the tritone came to be known as the devil’s interval. For centuries, it was called the devil’s interval — or, in Latin, diabolus in musica. In music theory, it’s called the “tritone” because it’s made of three whole steps.

How many steps is a tritone?

Tritone. A tritone gets its name because it contains three whole steps WWW. The intervals of a diminished fifth and an augmented fourth are both tritones because they both contain six half steps.

What songs use the devil’s interval?

The Devil’s Music: 10 Songs Based Around the Tritone Interval

• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds — “The Carny”
• Black Sabbath — “Black Sabbath”
• Metallica — “Enter Sandman”
• David Bowie — “Station to Station”
• Busta Rhymes — “Woo-Ha!! Got You All In Check”
• Marilyn Manson — “The Beautiful People”
• Jimi Hendrix — “Purple Haze”

What is a tritone chord?

Ironically, the tritone is the key ingredient in a Dominant 7th chord. The notes of a G7 chord are G-B-D-F. The B — F is a tritone. Now, I say that this is ironic because Dominant chords provide a lot of motion in music.

What is the significance of the tritone in music?

Its sound gives the idea of movement, instability, and when it is not accompanied by a rest chord, the listener is distressed, tense, after all, the tritone “needs” to be resolved. That is why many suspense melodies in famous horror films contain only two notes and are a great success.

What is the tritone of C and F?

The notes C – F# form a tritone themselves, so the two chords share a pair of notes that form a tritone. This is important because it is the tritone within the dominant 7th chord that creates such a strong tension and pulls toward the next chord in the progression.

How does the tritone substitution work?

The tritone substitution is based on a 6-interval in the treble It works with every 6-interval, it does not have to be a dominant seventh chord The tritone substitution also connects to Position Change (PC) and can increase/decrease the chord complexity (seventh vs. ninth chords)