Tritone Substitution ii-V-I (ii7 bII7 Imaj7)
The Tritone substitution cadence is the chord progression ii7-bII7-Imaj7. In the key of C major it is Dm7 Db7 Cmaj7, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 2m(7) b2(7) 1(maj7).
It is also known as ii-subV-I.
Chords from outside the key of C major: Db7.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The V7 chord is swapped for the dominant a tritone away. The two chords share the same third and seventh, swapped around, so the pull is the same, but the bass now slides down in half steps from ii to I. It gives a smoother, more sophisticated version of ii-V-I.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Girl from Ipanema | Antonio Carlos Jobim | A section, end | Gm7 | Gb7 | Fmaj7 | F major |
Tritone Substitution ii-V-I: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Tadd Dameron turnaround: Cmaj7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7
- Take the A Train changes: Cmaj7 D7 Dm7 G7
- Girl from Ipanema changes: Cmaj7 D7 Dm7 Db7
- Diminished passing chain: Cmaj7 C#dim7 Dm7 D#dim7 Em7 A7
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Tritone substitution cadence in each key?
In C major: Dm7 Db7 Cmaj7. In G major: Am7 Ab7 Gmaj7. In D major: Em7 Eb7 Dmaj7. In A major: Bm7 Bb7 Amaj7. In E major: F#m7 F7 Emaj7.
Which songs use the Tritone substitution cadence?
Songs that use it include The Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
