Chapter 16:Chord Substitutions and Turnarounds
Turnaround Example (in C)I-III-VI-II
I-VII-III-II
Note that some of these outside-the-key chords take traditionally minor chords
and make them major, so pay close attention to the uppercase and lowercase
notation in the table. (For example, the III chord is an E Major chord in the
key of C; not the expected E minor.)
Also pay attention to flat signs before a chord; this indicates to play the chord a
half step lower than normal. For example, a vi chord in the key of C is a half
step lower than the standard A minor vi chord, which results in the Aminor
chord instead.
You can use these turnarounds in any of the songs you write or arrange. It’s an
easy way to add harmonic sophistication to your music, just by changing a few
chords at the end of a phrase!
The Least You Need to Know
◆When you don’t want to play a boring old chord progression, you can use
one of several techniques to make the chord progression sound more har-
monically sophisticated.
◆The easiest way to spice up a chord progression is to change triads to sev-
enth chords or extended chords (such as sixths, ninths, elevenths, or thir-
teenths), and add sevenths and other extensions to the basic chords.
◆Another way to change the sound of a chord is to alter the bass note—to
either signal a different inversion, or to introduce a slightly different har-
monic structure.
◆Substituting one chord for another also can make a chord progression
more interesting. The most common chord substitutions are diatonic, in
which you replace a chord with the diatonic chord either a third above or
below the original chord.
◆You can also perform a chord substitution based on chord function. Any
chord fulfilling a tonic, subdominant, or dominant function can be re-
placed by any other chord fulfilling the same function.
◆You can add interest to a chord progression by introducing a two-measure
turnaround at the end of the main phrase; these chords circle around and
lead back to the I chord at the start of the next phrase.211