Guitar Chords 201

Substitution Chart
Original Play this Implied Original chord Play this Implied sound
chord sound substitution sound in C substitution
Major or V Maj/I Incomplete C Maj or C G Maj/C Incomplete (no
Minor (no third), but third), but C
Maj7(9) or Maj7(9) or C
Maj7(9) (Maj7, 9)
Major or Dom II Maj/I Incomplete C major or C7 D/C Incomplete, but
7 (#11) (no seventh), C 6(9, #11)
#
but 6(9, 11) Or C7(13,# 11)
or dom.
#
7(13 11)
Major II7sus4 Major 6/9 C Maj D7sus4 C Maj 6/9
Major VI7sus4 Major 6/9 C Maj A7sus4 C Maj 6/9
Major III7sus4 Maj 7 (6/9) C Maj E7sus4 C Maj 7(6/9)
Major III7 Maj 7(9) C Maj E7 C Maj 7(9)
Maj6 Major bebop Chromatic C Maj6 Major bebop Chromatic
scale from approaches scale from C approaches into
root into each C6, Ddim, each inversion of
I 6, II dim, I inversion of C6/E, Fdim, C Maj6 (also
6/III, IV dim, I Maj6 (also C6/G, Ab dim, works with
6/V, b VI dim, works with C6/A ,Bdim extended periods
I 6/VI , VII extended of A7)
dim periods of VI
7)
7 (Gospel) IV Maj, b III 7(9, 11, 13) C7 F Maj, E bMaj, C7(9, 11, 13)
Maj, II, I D, C
7 b III Maj7 7 (9) C7 E bMaj7 C7 (9)
7 Dorian -7 (9, 11, nat. C7 Quartal -7 (9, 11, nat.
voicings, using 13) voicings from 13)
all 7 diatonic C Dorian, built
notes from the on C, D, Eb, F,
root G, A, B b
6 Minor 6 bebop Chromatic C6 Minor bebop Chromatic
scale from approaches scale from C approaches into
root into each C6, Ddim, C each inversion of
inversion of 6/Eb, Fdim, C C6 (also works
6 (also works 6/G, Ab dim, with extended
with extended C6/A ,Bdim periods of A
periods of VI 7b 5 )
7 b5 )
(Maj7) b III Maj7 #5 (Maj7, 9) C(Maj7) Eb Maj7# 5 C(Maj7, 9)
7 5 b V Maj7 #5 b
7 5 (9, 11) C7 b5 G b Maj7#5 C7b5 (9, 11)
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Guitar Chords 201

Original Play this Implied Original chord Play this Implied sound
chord sound substitution sound in C substitution
Dom7 b5,# 5 III7#5 75 C7 b5,#5 E7#5 C7 #5
Dom7(b 9) IIIdim7, 7( b9) C7(b9) Edim7, C7( b9)
Vdim7, Gdim7,
bVIIdim7, Bbdim7,
b IIdim7 D bdim7
Dom7 ( b9, # 9, III dim(Maj7) 7# 9 C7 (b 9, # 9, 13) Edim(Maj7) or C7(# 9)
13) E bMaj/E
Dom7 ( b9, # 9, V dim(Maj7) 7(b 9, #11) C7 ( b9, # 9, 13) Gdim(Maj7) or C7( b9, # 11)
13) F #Maj/G
Dom7 ( b9, # 9, bVII 7(b 9, 13) C7 ( b9, # 9, 13) Bb dim (Maj7) or C7( b9, 13)
13) dim(Maj7) Amaj/Bb
Dom7 ( b9, # 9, bII dim(Maj7) 7( b9) C7 ( b9, # 9, 13) D bdim (Maj7) or C7(b 9)
13) CMaj/Db
Dom7 bVII Maj7 b5 7(9,13) C7 B bMaj7 b5 C7(9,13)
Dom7 Dorian 7 (9, 11, 13) C7 Quartal C7 (9, 11, 13)
voicings, using voicings from
all seven G dorian, built
diatonic on G, A, Bb,
notes from V C, D, E, F
Dom 7( b9) I Maj/bII Incomplete, C7 CMaj/D b Incomplete, but
but 7( b9) C7( b9) also
Eb7( b9),
Gb7( b9) , and
A7( b9)
Dom 7(alt.) or bVMaj/I Incomplete 7 b5(b 9) or F#Maj/C Incomplete, but
Maj 7(#11) (no seventh), Maj7( #11)/ #11 C7 b5(b 9) or
but dom. F#Maj7( #11)/C
7 b5(b 9)
# IV7#5 # #
Dom 7 b 5, #5 7 b5(9) C7 b5, # 5 F 75 C7 b5(9)
#
Dom 7 b5, #5 # IV7 b5 7 b5 C7 b5 F 7 b5 C7 b5
Dom 7 I Maj, bVII 7sus4(9,13) C7 C Maj, B b C7sus4(9,13)
(Gospel) Maj, VI, V Maj, A, G
Dom 7 (blues) I, b III , b III 7(# 9, 11) C7 C, E b , E b C7(# 9, 11)
Maj Maj
Dom 7 III7b5 7(9) C7 E7 b5 C7(9)
Dom 7 b VII Maj7#5 7(9, 11, C7 B b Maj7#5 C7(9, 11,
13) 13)
Dom 7 b V7 b5 7 b5 C7 G b7 b5 C7 b5
Dom 7 III Maj7#5 7#5 (#9) C7 E Maj7#5 C7 # 5( # 9)
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Guitar Chords 201

Original Play this Implied Original chord Play this Implied sound
chord sound substitution sound in C substitution
Dom 7 III Maj7 b5 7 #5 C7 E Maj7 b5 C7 #5
Dom 7 bV Maj 7 ( b5, b9) C7 G b7 C7 b 5 ( b9)
Dom 7 VI/ bVII 7(13) C7 A/Bb C7(13)

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