Chord Substitutions and Jazz Tensions for Minor Chord Progressions (Piano)

In a D minor progression you can colour the pre-dominant G minor chord by swapping it for E diminished, combining them into Gm6 or Em7b5, adding 7th, 9th and 11th tensions, or substituting Bbmaj7, Bb7 or a secondary dominant E7 (with b9 or #9) before resolving through A to D minor.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 16 min

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This lesson is Part 2 of Jason Zac's series on building minor chord progressions on the piano. It is for players who already know the basic minor progression and want it to sound richer and more sophisticated. The whole lesson focuses on one chord: the pre-dominant, the chord that comes before the dominant.

The starting progression

In Part 1 the progression in D minor used three chords:

• G minor (G Bb D), the iv chord and pre-dominant
• A major (A C# E), the V chord, borrowed from the D harmonic minor scale
• D minor (D F A), the minor tonic

An important idea is that you do not have to take chords only from one textbook scale. You can borrow from the parallel minor scales: natural, harmonic, Dorian, melodic and even Phrygian. Throughout the lesson the same melody is kept over every version, so learn to sing it first. You may also find the new chords inspire small changes to the melody, which is fine.

1. Use the other pre-dominant: E diminished

Instead of G minor you can play E diminished (E G Bb). It does the same pre-dominant job and shares two notes with G minor. Both roads lead to A major, which then resolves to D minor.

2. Combine the two pre-dominants

Merge G minor and E diminished and you get a four-note chord:

• Add E to G minor and you get G minor 6 (G Bb D E), a mysterious, more sophisticated sound.
• Add D to E diminished and you get E minor 7 flat 5 (E G Bb D). Think of E minor, flatten the fifth (B becomes Bb) and add the minor seventh (D, not D#). The melody already contains D, so it fits well.

3. Add jazz tensions to G minor

Build up the G minor chord step by step:

• Gm7: add F, the minor seventh.
• Gm9: add A, the ninth (a second, usually placed higher up).
• Gm11: add C, the eleventh (a fourth placed above the chord).

An easy way to find a minor 11 sound is to play G in the left hand and a D minor 7 (D F A C) in the right hand: Dm7 over G. Then move to A and end on D minor.

4. Replace it with Bb chords

You can replace the pre-dominant entirely with chords built on Bb:

• Bb major 7 (Bb D F A) gives a dreamy, ambient, romantic flavour. A quick piano shape is Bb in the left hand with a D minor triad in the right. It works because it shares two notes, Bb and D, with G minor.
• Bb dominant 7 (Bb D F Ab) contains Ab, which is outside the D minor scale, so it takes you off the radar. It has a heavy, weighty, bluesy sound with more chaos. Theoretically it relates to E7 as a tritone substitution, a topic saved for a later video.

Both Bb chords move nicely to A and then home to D minor.

5. The secondary dominant: E7

E7 (E G# B D) is not in D minor, but it is the dominant of A. It pulls strongly to A7, which is still unstable and resolves to D minor, like a chain reaction. Jazz musicians often enrich dominant chords further:

• E7 b9: lower the ninth from F# to F.
• E7 #9: raise the ninth to G (heard as the sharp ninth), a shape loved in guitar music such as Jimi Hendrix's.

How to practise

1. Sing the melody until it is secure.
2. Play the basic progression, then swap in one pre-dominant option at a time.
3. Keep the melody the same and listen to how each chord changes the mood.
4. Always resolve through A to D minor so you hear the full journey.

Questions about this lesson

What is the pre-dominant chord in D minor?

The main pre-dominant is G minor, the iv chord. E diminished, the ii chord, serves the same function and shares two notes with it.

How do I play a G minor 11 chord easily on piano?

Play G in the left hand and a D minor 7 chord (D F A C) in the right hand. Together they give the root, seventh, ninth and eleventh of G minor.

Why does Bb major 7 work in place of G minor?

Bbmaj7 (Bb D F A) shares Bb and D with G minor, so it fits the same melody while adding a dreamy, romantic colour. It still moves smoothly to A and then D minor.

Why can E7 lead into the A chord in D minor?

E7 is the dominant of A, a secondary dominant, so it pulls strongly towards A, which then resolves to D minor. You can add a b9 (F) or #9 (G) for extra colour.

Practise it

• The Dominant SeventhStudy dominant-seventh harmony through musical examples.
• Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
• Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• How to Make Piano Chords Sound Better: 8 Embellishment Techniques (Part 2)To make basic major and minor piano chords sound richer, change the time feel with a triplet at the end of the bar, weave diatonic thirds through the chord, add secondary dominants before target chords, and colour chords with extensions such as sevenths and ninths.
• How to Build Chords for Any Melody on Piano (Cadences and Music Theory)To harmonise any melody on piano, start by adding fifths and thirds under each melody note, then choose chords using cadences such as V–I, ii–V, V–vi and IV–I, and add colour with line cliché basses, secondary dominants, ii-V-I movements and chords borrowed from the parallel minor.
• How to Make I V vi IV Sound Way More Exciting on Piano (5 Methods + Bonus)To make the I V vi IV progression (C, G, Am, F in C major) sound more exciting, keep the four chords but add plagal embellishments, passing bass lines, an epic bVI-bVII cadence, secondary dominants or ii-V-I approaches, or revoice the chords with fifths, sevenths, spread thirds, add2 and sus chords.
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