Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
TABS: 👉 patreon.com/AndyDacoulis
Learn how to use tritone substitutions to create better jazz guitar solo lines and easily access those colorful altered dominant sounds without having to think about complicated scales.
In this lesson, I’ll first explain what a tritone substitution is and why it works. Then we’ll take the concept beyond chord substitutions and use it as a practical tool for jazz guitar improvisation.
One of my favorite ways to use the tritone substitution is over a Dominant 7 chord. By thinking of the dominant chord a tritone away, you can immediately generate altered tensions and create lines that sound more sophisticated and harmonically interesting.
For example, over a G7 chord, we can use ideas based around Db7. This gives us access to many of the altered sounds we normally associate with G7 altered—but from a very guitar-friendly perspective.
In the lesson, we'll cover:
🎸 What a tritone substitution is and why it works
🎸 How to use tritone substitutions when soloing
🎸 An easy way to create altered dominant sounds
🎸 How to think Db7 over G7
🎸 Creating usable jazz vocabulary from the concept
🎸 Turning theory into practical guitar lines
🎸 Using familiar shapes to create more sophisticated sounds
The goal isn't simply to understand the theory behind tritone substitutions. It's to turn the concept into musical vocabulary that you can actually use in your solos.
If you've been trying to incorporate the altered scale into your playing but find yourself thinking too much about scales while improvising, this approach can give you a much more intuitive way of accessing those sounds on the guitar.
👉 Check out my Smooth Jazz online lesson pack: 20 Smooth Jazz Licks youtu.be/UiNThR8U0ig
👉 Learn the ESSENTIAL Arpeggios: youtu.be/XUH1LD-yN-8
👉 Check out my Modern R&B Chord Study: youtu.be/jgdk3mstEDw
I am always available for Online Lessons: andydacoulis.com
WATCH NEXT:
✅ Neo-Soul Guitar: youtu.be/3srVffl2pf4
✅ Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks Part 1: youtu.be/pAMq8W7hYR0
✅ Layering Soulful R&B Guitar: youtu.be/EUkPbcXkS_E
✅ Need Licks? Here They Are: youtu.be/fMSTESFfTDo
✅ Learn These Jazz Lines: youtu.be/j6taV4RvHeA
//You Might Also Like:
🎸 Giant Smooth Jazz Licks: youtu.be/uV4IauezY7w
🎸 Jazz Guitar Basics: youtu.be/zr0HL-vS2y4
🎸 Freshen Up Your Chord Voicings: youtu.be/x2xuK0jHKDo
🎸 Three GREAT R&B Rhythm Guitar Ideas: youtu.be/wPO_3Dl5Ot8
🎸 Learn the Fine Art of Modern R&B Chords: youtu.be/jgdk3mstEDw
👉 Subscribe to my channel here:
youtube.com/c/AndyDacoulis?sub_confirmation=1
👉 Follow me here:
andydacoulis.com
instagram.com/andydacoulis
facebook.com/andy.dacoulis
TABS: 👉 patreon.com/AndyDacoulis
Learn how to use tritone substitutions to create better jazz guitar solo lines and easily access those colorful altered dominant sounds without having to think about complicated scales.
In this lesson, I’ll first explain what a tritone substitution is and why it works. Then we’ll take the concept beyond chord substitutions and use it as a practical tool for jazz guitar improvisation.
One of my favorite ways to use the tritone substitution is over a Dominant 7 chord. By thinking of the dominant chord a tritone away, you can immediately generate altered tensions and create lines that sound more sophisticated and harmonically interesting.
For example, over a G7 chord, we can use ideas based around Db7. This gives us access to many of the altered sounds we normally associate with G7 altered—but from a very guitar-friendly perspective.
In the lesson, we'll cover:
🎸 What a tritone substitution is and why it works
🎸 How to use tritone substitutions when soloing
🎸 An easy way to create altered dominant sounds
🎸 How to think Db7 over G7
🎸 Creating usable jazz vocabulary from the concept
🎸 Turning theory into practical guitar lines
🎸 Using familiar shapes to create more sophisticated sounds
The goal isn't simply to understand the theory behind tritone substitutions. It's to turn the concept into musical vocabulary that you can actually use in your solos.
If you've been trying to incorporate the altered scale into your playing but find yourself thinking too much about scales while improvising, this approach can give you a much more intuitive way of accessing those sounds on the guitar.
👉 Check out my Smooth Jazz online lesson pack: 20 Smooth Jazz Licks youtu.be/UiNThR8U0ig
👉 Learn the ESSENTIAL Arpeggios: youtu.be/XUH1LD-yN-8
👉 Check out my Modern R&B Chord Study: youtu.be/jgdk3mstEDw
I am always available for Online Lessons: andydacoulis.com
WATCH NEXT:
✅ Neo-Soul Guitar: youtu.be/3srVffl2pf4
✅ Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks Part 1: youtu.be/pAMq8W7hYR0
✅ Layering Soulful R&B Guitar: youtu.be/EUkPbcXkS_E
✅ Need Licks? Here They Are: youtu.be/fMSTESFfTDo
✅ Learn These Jazz Lines: youtu.be/j6taV4RvHeA
//You Might Also Like:
🎸 Giant Smooth Jazz Licks: youtu.be/uV4IauezY7w
🎸 Jazz Guitar Basics: youtu.be/zr0HL-vS2y4
🎸 Freshen Up Your Chord Voicings: youtu.be/x2xuK0jHKDo
🎸 Three GREAT R&B Rhythm Guitar Ideas: youtu.be/wPO_3Dl5Ot8
🎸 Learn the Fine Art of Modern R&B Chords: youtu.be/jgdk3mstEDw
👉 Subscribe to my channel here:
youtube.com/c/AndyDacoulis?sub_confirmation=1
👉 Follow me here:
andydacoulis.com
instagram.com/andydacoulis
facebook.com/andy.dacoulis
