Substitute chord
A substitute chord is a chord that takes the place of a main function and takes over its role. Functional theory describes every chord of a key as a main function or as a substitute for one. Substitutes have two notes in common with the main function and therefore sound similar.
- Principle
- similar sound with two notes in common
- Relative chord
- minor third below the major chord (C → A minor)
- Counter-chord
- major third above the major chord (C → E minor)
- Best-known use
- deceptive cadence V–vi
Two notes in common
Functional theory assigns the chords of a key to three main functions: tonic, subdominant and dominant. The remaining chords are substitutes. They share two notes with the main function, sound similar and can replace it. Two kinds are especially important. The abbreviations Tp, Sp, Dp, Tg, Sg and Dg used below are those of German functional theory (T tonic, S subdominant, D dominant, p Parallele, the relative chord, g Gegenklang or counter-chord); English-language texts mostly use Roman numerals for the same chords.
- The relative chord lies a minor third below a major chord, or a minor third above a minor chord. In C major A minor stands in for the tonic as tonic parallel (Tp), D minor for the subdominant as subdominant parallel (Sp).
- The counter-chord lies a major third above a major chord. E minor appears in C major as tonic counter-chord (Tg).
The main functions and their substitutes in C major
From the left: tonic C (C–E–G) and its relative A minor (A–C–E), subdominant F (F–A–C) and its relative D minor (D–F–A), dominant G (G–B–D) and its relative E minor (E–G–B). Each pair has two notes in common. The counter-chord of the dominant, B minor, is in the table below.
Deceptive cadence: the tonic parallel instead of the tonic
The dominant G leads not to C but to A minor (marked). Bass and leading tone rise, the two inner voices fall, so no parallels arise; in A minor the C is doubled. The chord is related enough to work as a continuation and different enough to refuse the close.
In the glossary: Functional theory · Deceptive cadence · Diatonic chord
| Main function | Relative chord | Counter-chord |
|---|---|---|
| Tonic C | Tp: A minor | Tg: E minor |
| Subdominant F | Sp: D minor | Sg: A minor |
| Dominant G | Dp: E minor | Dg: B minor |
The deceptive cadence
The best-known use of a substitute chord is the deceptive cadence. The dominant leads not to the expected tonic but to the tonic parallel. In the listening example G is followed first by the expected C, then after a second G by the tonic parallel A minor. Equally familiar is the subdominant parallel before the dominant, which makes the cadence softer and more colourful than the subdominant itself.
Substitution in jazz
In jazz the idea of substitution has been developed in other ways, for example in tritone substitution: a dominant is replaced by another a tritone away, because both contain the same tritone. In C major G7 (with B and F) can be replaced by D♭7 (with F and C♭, which is the B spelled differently). The bass then goes not from G to C but from D♭ to C.
The altered chord should not be confused with the substitute chord. It changes a chord chromatically, whereas a substitute chord usually takes its place as a chord belonging to the scale. The tritone substitution is a special case from jazz.
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Related terms
Functional theoryDeceptive cadenceTonicSubdominantDominantRelative keyDiatonic chordCadence
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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