As bass players, we live our lives in the chromatic realm when walking a line from one chord to another - especially in jazz and blues. Let’s apply this rationale to soloing over a simple I-vi-ii-V change:

CMaj7 - AMin7 - DMin7 - G7

Try imposing a Diminished 7 chord chromatically on your way to the iiMin7 chord as follows:

Measure 1: CMaj7

Measure 2: EbDim7

Measure 3: DMin7

This is the typical tritone substitution. However, you can also apply a Dim7 chord chromatically from the other direction:

Measure 1: CMaj7

Measure 2: DbDim7

Measure 3: DMin7

This creates a little more tension than the triton sub but can add an “out” flavor to these basic changes.

As usual, do whats sounds good and tasteful. Sometimes only one or two notes are necessary to create that tension on your way to the ii chord.

-at

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