The Flat-Five Substitution

A substitution often used by jazz musicians is replacing a chord with one a flat fifth away. That is, Eb is the b5 of A, and Db is the b5 of G, etc. Here are three examples of how the turnaround can be played.

Putting It All Together

• The Basic Blues and Adding Extensions
• The Turnaround
• The Standard I, VI, II, V Chord Substitution
• Diminished And Half-Step Substitutions
• The IImin7, V7 Substitutions
• The Flat-Five Substitution

This last progression demonstrates most of the concepts we've covered so far.

Blues 5



blues5.mid 8k

Get Out And Play

Of course, you need to be able to play in all 12 keys (easier said than done). After you've learned how to alter the blues, let your ears guide you as to which of the substitutions to use. More often than not, it's best to play the most basic approach. (You mean I learned all this for nothing!) It all depends on the situation. Get out and play, because there is no substitute for experience... it is the best teacher.