Jazz Chord Substitutions, Turnarounds + Extensions

This post provides a comprehensive guide to jazz guitar, including chord substitutions, turnarounds, and chord extensions, with practical examples and a focus on both theoretical understanding and developing musicality by ear. For further study, it references the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Handbook, offers FAQs, and encourages a balanced approach to practice.

Thanks for stopping by – here’s a wealth of info about common jazz chord substitutions, turnarounds, chord extensions and more.

Below the chord tables, you’ll find a bunch of FAQs. If you have any other questions, please send me a message!

Also, while this post contain lots of jazz theory, please remember to seek a balanced approach to developing one’s musicality! In other words, please develop your ear while cultivating your theory knowledge.

Great ways to learn music - learn from the greats, practice makes progress, play what you sing, sing what you play, enjoy the musical journey!

Table of Contents

Also, a great jazz theory handbook – Jamey Aebersold Jazz Handbook

Chord Subs – Dominant (V7)

Original	V	V	V	V
Example	G	G	G	G
Sub #1	V7	V7	V7	V7
Ex #1	G7	G7	G7	G7
Sub#2	ii-7	ii-7	V7	V7
Ex #2	D-7	D-7	G7	G7
Sub #3	ii-7	ii-7	II♭7	II♭7
Ex #3	D-7	D-7	D♭7	D♭7
Sub #4	iv♭-7	iv♭-7	II♭7	II♭7
Ex #4	A♭-7	A♭-7	D♭7	D♭7
Sub #5	iii-7	VI7	ii-7	V7
Ex #5	E-7	A7	D-7	G7
Sub #6	iii-7	III♭7	ii-7	II♭7
Ex #6	E-7	E♭7	D-7	D♭7
Sub #7	III7	III♭7	II7	II♭7
Ex #7	E7	E♭7	D7	D♭7
Sub #8	iiv♭-7	III♭7	iv♭-7	II♭7
Ex #8	B♭-7	E♭7	A♭-7	D♭7
Sub #9	II7	II7	V7	V7
Ex #9	D7	D7	G7	G7
Sub #10	vi-7	II7	ii-7	V7
Ex #10	A-7	D7	D-7	G7
Sub #11	vi-7	IV♭7	ii-7	V7
Ex #11	A-7	A♭7	D-7	G7
Sub #12	iii♭-7	IV♭7	ii-7	V7
Ex #12	E♭-7	A♭7	D-7	G7
Sub #13	iii♭-7	IV♭7	iv♭-7	II♭7
Ex #13	E♭-7	A♭7	A♭-7	D♭7
Sub #14	ii-7♭5	ii-7♭5	V7	V7
Ex #14	D-7♭5	D-7♭5	G7	G7

Chord Subs – Major Tonic (I)

Original	I	I	I	I
Example	C	C	C	C
Sub #1	I	IV	I	I
Ex #1	C	F	C	C
Sub #2	Imaj7(♯11)	Imaj7(♯11)	Imaj7(♯11)	Imaj7(♯11)
Ex #2	Cmaj7(♯11)	Cmaj7(♯11)	Cmaj7(♯11)	Cmaj7(♯11)

Chord Subs -Turnaround – Major Tonic (I)

Turn #1	I	I	I	I
Ex #1	C	C	C	C
Turn #2	I	I	V	V
Ex #2	C	C	G	G
Turn #3	I	I	IV	V
Ex #3	C	C	F	G
Turn #4	I	I	ii-7	V7
Ex #4	C6/9	C6/9	D-7	G9
Turn #5	I	vi-7	ii	V
Ex #5	C	A-7	D-7	G7
Turn #6	I	VI	ii	V
Ex #6	C	A7	D-9	G13
Turn #7	iii	VI	ii	V
Ex #7	E-9	A7♯5	D-7	G7
Turn #8	I	iii♭dim	ii	V
Ex #8	C	E♭dim	D-7	G7
Turn #9	I	idim	ii	V
Ex #9	C	Cdim	D-7	G7
Turn #10	I	IV	I	V
Ex #10	C	F	C	G7
Turn #11	I	iv–	I	V
Ex #11	C	F–	C	G7
Turn #12	I	IV \| iv–	I	V
Ex #12	C	F/F–	C	G7
Turn #13	I	idim	I	V
Ex #13	C	Cdim	C	G7♯5
Turn #14	I	i♯dim	ii	V
Ex #14	C	C♯dim	D-7	G7♯9
Turn #15	I	III♭maj7	VI♭maj7	II♭maj7
Ex #15	C	E♭maj7	A♭maj7	D♭maj7
Turn #16	iii	v-7	i-7	iv-7
Ex #16	Em11	Gm11	Cm11	Fm11
Turn #17	I	VII♭maj7	I	V7
Ex #17	Cmaj7	B♭maj7	Cmaj7	G7♯5♯9
Turn #18	I	vi♭m6	I	V7
Ex #18	C6/9	A♭m6	C6/9	G7♯5

Last 8 Bars Turnaround (Old School)

#1	IV	iv–	I	VI
	E♭	E♭-	B♭	G
#1	II	V	I	V
	C	F	B♭	F
#2	IV	iv♯dim	I	VI
	E♭	Edim	B♭	G
#2	II	V	I	V
	C	F	B♭	F

Chord Subs (ii V7 I I)

Progression	ii	V7	I	I
Example	D min7	G7	C maj7	C maj7
Sub #1	ii	II♭7	I	I
Example	D min9	D♭9	C 6/9	C 6/9
Sub #2	vi♭	II♭7	I	I
Example	A♭-7	D♭9	C maj7	C maj7
Sub #3	ii	V7	I	vi-7
Example	Dmin7	G7	Cmaj7	Amin7
Sub #4	ii	V7	iii	VI
Example	D min9	G13	E min7	A7♭13

Common Substitutions for standard jazz ii-V-I chord progression

Chord Subs (ii-7♭5 V7, i, i)

Progression	ii-7♭5	V7	i	i
Example	Bm7♭5	E7	A–	A–
Sub#1	ii-7♭5	II♭7	i	i
Example	Bm7♭5	B♭7(♭5)	Am6	Am6
Sub#2	iv	V7	i	i
Example	D–	E7	A–	A–
Sub #3	VI♭maj7	V	i	i
Example	Fmaj7	E7	Amin/add9	Amin/add9
Sub#4	VI♭7	V7	i	i
Example	F9	E7♯9	Amin7	Amin7

Common Substitutions for jazz minor ii-V-i chord progressions

Chord Extensions (minor 7)

Chord	ii-7
Example	Dmin7	D F A C
Sub #1	ii-9
Example	Dmin9	D F A C E
Sub #2	ii min11
Example	Dmin11	D F A C G
Sub #3	iim6
Example	Dmin6	D F A B
Sub #4	IVmaj7
Example	Fmaj7	F A C E
Sub #5	vi♭-7
Example	A♭-7	A♭ C♭ E♭ G♭

Typical Jazz Chord “Substitutions” for minor 7 chords

Chord Extensions (major 7)

Chord	I maj7
Example	E♭maj7	E♭ G B♭ D
Sub #1	I maj9
Example	E♭maj9	E♭ G B♭ D F
Sub #2	I add9
Example	E♭add9	E♭ G B♭ F
Sub #3	I 6/9
Example	E♭6/9	E♭ G B♭ C F
Sub #4	I maj7(♯11)
Example	E♭ maj7(♯11)	E♭ G B♭ D A
Sub #5	iii-7
Example	G-7	G B♭ D F
Sub #6	vi-7
Example	C-7	C E♭ G B♭
Sub #7	vi-9
Example	C-9	C E♭ G B♭ D

Typical Jazz Chord Substitutions for major 7 chords. for the min7th subs, you can use most of the subs used with a min7th.

Chord Extensions (dominant 7)

Chord	V7
Example	G7	G B D F
Sub	V9
Example	G9	G B D F A
Sub	V13
Example	G13	G B D F A E
Sub	V6/9
Example	G6/9	G B D A E
Sub	Vadd9
Example	Gadd9	G B D A
Sub	V6
Example	G6	G B D E
Sub	V7♯9
Example	G7♯9	G B D F A♯/B♭
Sub	V7♭9
Example	G7♭9	G B D F A♭
Sub	V7(♭5)
Example	G7(♭5)	G B D♭ F
Sub	ii♭7
Example	D♭7	D♭ F A♭ C♭
Sub	ii-7
Example	D-7	D F A C
Sub	iii-7
Example	E-7	E G B D

Common Jazz Chord “substitutions” for dominant 7 chords – for the tritone sub (V♭7) you can go back and substitute most any of the other dominant 7th chord subs listed above. For ii-7 & iii-7 subs, you can use a lot of the subs for the minor 7th chord

FAQs

I’ll keep adding more questions here …

What is a (Jazz) Turnaround?

At the end of every the chorus (usually 16 or 32 bars plus 12 bars for blue), the tune usually resolves.

To create forward harmonic motion to start the next chorus, musicians will create a “turnaround” after the the final resolution to help bring the ear back the beginning of the tune.

What is a chord substitution in jazz?

A chord substitution (or chord sub) is an chord where a musician exchanges the original chord for a different chord. Usually sub harmonically relates and/or suggests the original chord but differs in some coloration.

How do you substitute chords in jazz?

Some ways to create chord substitutions:

By following standard jazz principles and theory
You can use the charts above as a framework to familiarize yourself with possible substitutions (or other similar charts)
By listening and learning to recordings – most of the jazz greats use lots of substitutions – it would almost sound weird if they didn’t
By reading through jazz charts – after awhile you’ll start to see and hear a lot of the most common chord subs

How do you substitute with tritones?

Understand the tritone – a tritone is the interval of♭5, which basically is the same as a ♯4.
For any chord, but usually a dominant chord or minor 7th chord, you may possibly use a tritone sub – you have to see how it sounds.
Likewise, if a musician is playing with a scalar and/or arpeggio fashion (that describe a minor 7th or dominant 7th chord), you can also do a tritone sub
So just play the chord, scale and/or arpeggio with a root an interval of ♭5 from the chord you want to substitute.

Original	ii-7	V7	I	I
Example	D min7	G7	C maj7	C maj7
Tritone sub #1	ii	II♭7	I	I
Tritone sub ex #1	D min7	D♭7	C maj7	C maj7

In this example the II♭7 is the tritone sub for the V7 chord. For example, D♭7 is the tritone sub for G7

Original	ii-7	V7	I	I
Example	D min7	G7	C maj7	C maj7
Tritone sub #2	vi♭-7	II♭7	I	I
Tritone sub ex #2	A♭-7	D♭7	C maj7	C maj7

In this example the vi♭-7 is the tritone sub for the ii-7 chord. For example, A♭-7 is the tritone sub for D-7

Why do tritone substitutions work?

Tritone substitution don’t always work.

When a tritone sub works (sounds good), it helps highlight the altered harmonic extensions of the the substituted chord, scale and/or arpeggio.

The original dominant chord and the tritone sub both have the same 3rd and ♭7th, so the essential harmony of the original chord is still maintained with the tritone sub!

chord	V7	example	II♭7	example
7th	♭7	F	3	C♭
5th	5	D	♭9	A♭
3rd	3	B	♭7	F
root	1	G	♭5	D♭

Both chords share the same notes for 3 + ♭7. In the example, the 3rd and ♭7 are both B + F. In the tritone sub, the other notes of the chord are the ♭9 and ♭5, both very tasty altered notes for a dominant chord!

Practice Makes Progress!

All the best to everyone!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and/or send a message!