Essential Jazz Concepts, Tritone Substitution, (or how not to play the 1812 Overture!) 

Glad it was helpful!

Hello Alessandro...great comment!! That means that you understand where I'm coming from. I'm trying to see the "bigger picture" and relate it to all of life...because (with all we have to deal with), they're all connected, and isn't music one of the best things in life? Thanks!!

Great comment....and I'm glad you like my alter-ego, because without humor...what do we have?

You're right! This is an excellent way to start a video-lesson. By the way, the Altered-Dominant Ego Man is the only guy who can do a chromatic 24 notes cluster!

Wow! I hadn't thought of that...maybe that's why he has such a big ego (or big a_ _ !)

I really appreciate your commenting on an older video of mine. Mostly they are overlooked.

Kent Hewitt when I find someone who is putting out good informative content I make a point of digging in. Where there is one there is a chance there will be more... 😎. Thank You!

That's great , Michael..esp. that you like my humor. That keeps me going...and thanks for the support!

Hey Razzie, great to hear from you...and you appreciate my humor ...and that's the best! I haven't done ear training exercises yet, but I will give that a lot of thought...thanks for asking!

You are very welcome

Many thanks, Glen, I appreciate the compliment!

Great comment. Appreciate your helpful words, I'll just keep doing it, and hope to get better, as we all do.

Hi Dan, thanks for writing. I'd like to suggest watching my video showing instructions on slowing down the videos and rewinding sections or sentences for repeat watching. Also depending on your level you might like to check out my playlists and watch the Easy Jazz Lessons or other categories that interest you. Some of my videos have the chord symbols annotated in the view. See links below: www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube+tips+for+my+channel+kent&view=detail&mid=65FCCD4B160C10E698BE65FCCD4B160C10E698BE&FORM=VIRE Playlists categories: ru-vid.com/show-UCdmjw5sm9Kn83TB_rA_QBCwplaylists

Kent, three words. A. Maz. Zing. Not only the number of videos, but how nicely they seem to be categorized. THANKS ! I'll dig into more of your stuff now.

Thanks for the positive feedback!

Thanks for the affirmation!

Angeli! Thanks for writing. How are you doing! Thanks for acknowledging the fun I'm having with these. Yes... the upper extensions...and getting them automatic takes some work...but slowly experimenting and then practicing enough will help. I may be able to come up with some exercises to help. Great to read your special words. Please write.

Please write to my email....sorry but I get so many comments and so little time.

1917 282 38 37 Benjamin Pearlman.

Oh, lord, it's awful...what to do? I posted a video for the grieving. Makes you feel so bad. Smoking joints reminds me of my fun college days and those cool RISD artist co-eds.

Write to me....kenthewitt@hotmail.com

Thanks, Billy! I'm glad you connect with my humor , 'cause that's the real fun part. Warm wishes...

Thanks for the comment!

Glad we found "each other". Keep up the good work!

Ditto, :~}

Kent, any relation to the great Lonnie Hewitt of Cal Tjader, check 1st cut Cal Tjader Grace Cathederal,

I appreciate your telling me that my videos are helpful in your study of music and jazz .Thanks!

In their own way, they are beautiful, esp. when the upper extensions are added. Thanks for writing!

Thanks, sorry if I missed your email. Please send again...it doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention. Keep watching!...and thanks!

Will do! Glad I could get in touch with you. :D

Fredrik, .....many thanks!... and your comment honors me and keeps me going. If your ears hear the beauty of it...I hope you know that you a blessed, with the great gift and insight of music.

Thnx Kent, much appriciated !

Some other people figured that out and called me that. I never thought of it. Thanks for the nice comment...and keep up the good work!

The humor part is the most fun part for me.....after all. that's my (your) alter-ego! Thanks

I thought perhaps your alter ego might talk about the other try tritone contained in the diminished chord seeing as he's a mirror image a doppelganger of sorts or an evil twin☺

Very perceptive! Yes, but his motives are not necessarily evil or constructive. He really is looking for attention and humor in a world that is too serious. So you see how the alter- ego can work in a positive way,,,, in an overly serious person. It enables us to not take life too seriously... which is good and bad. Find the balance.

Thanks so much. Check my playlists Easy jazz Lessons, and Beginner Jazz Series for easier ones. Click on title under video . ru-vid.com/show-UCdmjw5sm9Kn83TB_rA_QBCwplaylists

Thanks so much!

Please direct all detailed questions to my email....I'll be happy to answer!

Thanks for the great comment! We have friends in Chicago but I only have passed through on the way out west. Keep watching!

I start view some of your video since August 2020 ,it's very helpful for me.

You are very welcome

You have it right. In the Gm7 situation it wants to move to C7, so the tritone sub of Db7 creates the 1/2 step approach from above that pulls it there. Tritone subs just expand the harmonic possibilities and make music more interesting and have more depth.

He doesn't play the piano...all he does is question my own incentives and tries to orient me to some level of reality that deals with truth rather than fiction. And if you understand that then you understand him (which I don't).

Thanks for the comment...keeps me going!!

You're right, good point! I, kind of, look at him as the person I'd rather be... (because he's funny and crazy) but then "reality" strikes! Thanks!

Cooool!

Great pianos are used to hard treatment.....she's okay if that's the worst of it! Thanks!

I thought that had already been done a lot...have you checked? Answer is : not that hard but very technical, I think.

IMO, almost no body can give a lesson with the amount of depth and keep the viewer captivated as much as you KH When I see people giving synthesia tutorials talking about how hard it is to understand that a music is in a II-V-I progression I just fringe.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Much appreciated!

Agreed! Would absolutely love to see KH do Giant Steps!

Thanks for the request: here it is:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vEoB7haTQVU.html

That's a good suggestion. I haven't done a video on the Bossa Nova or Jobim, partially because I focus on what I'm best at. I do play bossa nova style a lot, but obviously there are Latin players that are better than me.

+Kent Hewitt If you do get to making some videos on it, please include some Jobim standards like Wave and Triste! Thanks!

Priceless is such a great, meaningful word...so you honor me, sir. Many thanks!

Thanks for the comment. There's 2 tritones in every diminished chord...is there a question?

no, thank you… just wanted to say that it is the quickiest way to found them for me.

I already have a lot of videos on bass lines here:ru-vid.com/group/PLFuMibnl_h5bORWqQU6VSD9egXLBEtJ38Please let me know if this helps. Thanks!

Thanks for the compliment and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the comment. Go here to find all the free music downloads on my website:www.kenthewitt.com/id38.html

I use Don't Blame Me (1/2 the song) at the end of this video as a demo. But I've never done a whole video on that song. It's a great song. Thanks for commenting!

Many Thanks Kent Paul

Thanks for the correction. You're right...that's the augmented 4th (#4 or b5)....I added a note to the video at that point.

Hi Tom, I hope you're enjoying the concert...that's awesome! That's a complicated question because there's really 3 positions. 1. LH is playing bass note or line and RH plays all the notes in the chord in close position...(rootless). 2. Spread voicings where the LH plays root and 7th, root and 10th, root and 3rd, root and 5th, and RH plays the upper extensions ...b9, #11. 13. 3. Rootless voicings in LH where the RH plays octaves or complimentary chords. Usually it's best to avoid too much doubling in the 2 hands.. but more emphasis on color tones and upper extensions that will enriched the sound and sophistication of the chord texture. I believe I've covered this in some of my tutorials. Would a tutorial on this help? Check this for my video categories:ru-vid.com/show-UCdmjw5sm9Kn83TB_rA_QBCwplaylists

Thanks for your reply, I'll try and think of this at my next combo session. So in summary, 1. Bass note or harmonically functional line + rootless voicing, 2. Spread voicings outlining essential parts of chord + upper structures and alterations/colour notes, 3. Rootless voicings in left hand + octaves or accompanying and probably smaller chords in right hand.

And just one more question. Why do people often talk about drop 2 voicings? I know what they are, how they work, but is there something special to the sound of a drop 2 voicing?

Yes, it has a unique sound...but only you can decide if you want to master it. I admire it because Bill Evans and others like Bill Charlap use it. Also it has been used by great composers/arrangers for years and you will see it in sheet music as well as big band arrangements. It's a way of spreading out the harmonies in a way that I think has the prettiest sound. However... it's not essential that you master it. It is only an addition to other techniques... that are more important. (like spread voicings) Ask me!

Kent Hewitt, how do you create a Drop Two voicing? What's the formula?

Write to me....kenthewitt@hotmail.com

@@KentHewittpiano88 I’m sorry that I making you go to microscopic details of improvisation. However many people need advice how to use left hand many things Are not available. I do understand that all that stuff requires talent. Ability to play. Wherever it is a technique so many things that I’d like to ask you but isn’t comfortable to us through the email I’d like to talk to you If possible.

I thank you for the comment... from my heart!

Hi Tim. I haven't done a video strictly on tritone substitutes, although I cover that extensively in my book. Tritone subs work best with dominant 7th chords. However as an example, if you are playing a III-VI-II-V progression (ie; Em7-A7-Dm7-G7-C) you can use tritone subs in place of the minor chords, so the progression would be Bb7-A7-Ab7-G7-C. That obviously creates chromatic movement instead of cyclical. A more complex variation of that might be: Em7-Bb7-A7-Eb7-Dm7-Ab7-G7- Db7-C. I should do a video on this...and thanks for the inspiration!

Tim...here's another video I remembered that I did on tritone substitutes: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pf7JikCv3Y8.html

Kent Hewitt thanks so much for your reply Kent! Really appreciate you taking time to teach those at a lower skill level than yourself.

Wow. really cool....thanks!!!

The tritone substitute is generally a dominant 7th which moves resolving downward. Also it may need some alteration to adjust to the melody note(s).

That's on my TO-DO list. Thanks!

I don't have any written out. I tried checking that out and they were so random I kind of gave up on the idea....but maybe the random variety would be better than none. What do you think?

I will do that...and thanks so much for the support!

I don't have one, except in my book. I'll give that some thought. I'm getting ready to go to Maine to teach for the month. So I'm just trying to answer the comments...thanks!

Thanks so much for the comment!

Your comment is very helpful to me and most appreciated!

Please watch my beginner jazz series and easy jazz lessons. They are playlists on my channel page. Here's the link: ru-vid.com/show-UCdmjw5sm9Kn83TB_rA_QBCwplaylists

Appreciated!

Yes, often the tritone substitute has to be altered to fit the melody. Or you could alter it because it creates more harmonic movement inside the chords. You can think of the top note as melody and inside as inner harmonic movement.

Wow, thanks very much. That means i can go almost everywhere because altered dominant seven contains so many scales. This confused me a long time.

Thanks for the affirmation!

Please go to the link under the video and you'll see a book page on website...thanks!

Yes, you are right! Any of the dominant 7ths in a family can be substitutes because of the common tones. Particularly if you add the b9 as the alteration...I wanted to explain that in this video, but it got too long. Also chord substitutions work across the board with all chords in a tune...which is something I cover in my book, and need to put up more videos on. Thanks!

More videos is always better... regardless of how complicated the subject. Tip: I presume the alt-dom guy likes to play outside so when making your new videos just lock him out there with the horses.

Many thanks!

Thanks for your interest. It's a better deal to buy the PDF version (available immediately) and copy to a flash drive and bring to a print shop. They can bind it for you or, what I suggest is put it into a 3 ringed binder ...which is very practical and lies flat on the music stand. It's cheaper than shipping the hard copy from the US. Thanks!

alright, thank you. have a nice week :)

Thank you!

Thanks for the compliment!

Thanks for the comment!

Now I know you're answering questions, I'll be thankful if you can tell me how should I know when to use minor/major/flat5/flat9/natural9 chords in the tritone substitutions. Its seem to me like it doesn't matter because in any case even the root is not part of the scale.

Tritone substitutes should have all notes in common with the related chord that they are substituting for, EXCEPT the root. The root of the substitute should always be an augmented #4 above or below the root of the chord. Please write to me if you need more explanation. kenthewitt@hotmail.com.

If for example I want a chord progression that will take me to an Em tonic, I can play B7 to Em, and I also can play F7 to Em? but F7 includes the tone C, which is the flat 9 of B7. but if the original chord isnt B7b9? which tone will be the 5 now? why it shouldnt be the B note as a flat 5 of F7?

That chord is really not that bad. The A natural there is an augmented 5th so the chord is a Db7b13. The A has to move a whole step up or down to resolve to C or Cmaj7. I prefer the 1/2 step moves or the stationary moves when it comes to tritone substitutes resolving...just my preference. Thanks for subscribing and the comment!

Thank you so much! Would you call it a Db7+5 or Db7b13? Or does it depend on the function?

Augmented 5th and b13 are the same note, just an octave apart. Just think of the b13 as above the 7th.

I understand that they are the same note, but my question was if the names are interchangeable. In other words, are there any cases when it is more appropriate to call it a b13 instead of a +5 (or vice versa)?

Yes....but was he Marty's alter -ego??

Glad I could do it for you!

Theory is always important to understanding concepts in depth. The practical application is necessary after that.

When I lived in NYC the lounge players were the "cat's pajamas".

Misconception...when you hear Bill Evans use it...you will realize it's true beauty.

If you understand Miles, your Miles and mine: Miles Davis, then you may be hooking up to the God universe, or possibly your own alter-ego. Then you are in the right place to be...because there lies truth and understanding. I can see you are a poet, and all poets have a special gift, a we do as musicians. Pass on the vibe. Peace and love....KH

Thanks... all Jazz musicians are poets of silence... the words are yours instruments and lovers! Davis have your trumpet and instruments are touched like women’s u see the caress there show to u in a cover cd or presentation like models in your luxuries dress! Thanks a lot your voice is a sweet melody... Good night teacher!

Thanks for the affirmation...light is good!