If you ever heard saxophonist John Coltrane play you know he's one of the best jazz sax players of all times. During Coltran's "Change Running period Coltrane employed most of the harmonic devices of his contemporaries. His use of chord substitutions was limited to the tri-tone and minor third substitutions.
E-7 A7 = Bb-7 Eb7 (Tri-tone substitution)
E-7 A7 = G-7 C7 (Minor third substitution)
Coltrane developed a intricate system devised by him later known as the Coltrane substitutions or the tonic system. In the example we will use a 3 tonic system
Below is a of basic II V I progression and Coltrane's Substitutions.
D-7 | G7 | CM7 (Basic II V I Progression)
D-7 Eb7 | Ab B7 | E G7 (Coltrane's substitutions)
The three tonic system chords in the example are Eb, B7,G Three notes are a Minor 6th apart.
Try using the tonic system (Coltrane Substitutions) over basic II V I progressions and see what you can come up with. Learning just from other guitar players is not always a good thing. Great Jazz guitarist like Wes Montgomery studied Charlie Parker, Coltrane and many others horn players.
