Reharmonize Anything: 50 Progressions Rebuilt.
Copyright © 2026 Brandon. All rights reserved.
The musical techniques in this book are common-practice harmonic procedures.
Analyses and worded explanations are the author's own, grounded in the
sources listed at the back. The accompanying MIDI files are original
realizations created for this book and may be used freely in your own music.
No part of the written text may be reproduced without permission.
For everyone who has ever played a chord
and thought, “there has to be a better one.”
Every page does the same thing fifty times. It takes a progression you already know, shows you a before, then rebuilds it into an after, and tells you the one move that did the work and why your ear accepts it.
Play the before first. Then play the after. The melody never changes between them, because reharmonization means changing the chords under a fixed tune. Train your ear on the difference, that gap is the whole craft.
Read each page in rows. Before is the original. After is the reharmonization in plain triads, so the single move stands alone with nothing to hide behind. When a green Jazz Color row appears, it shows the same chords dressed in sevenths and extensions; treat it as a preview of Family 2 and add it only once the bare swap is in your ear.
Every progression ships with MIDI, one file per row, named by number and title. Drop them into any DAW or notation app, or open PLAY_ME.html in a browser to play every before, after, and color side by side. The chords are voiced for keyboard, bass in the left hand, a smooth voice-led right hand.
Each family closes with a Practice box: one drill, one thing to watch for, and one progression to try in a new key. Do them. Reading a reharm and playing one are different skills.
The Roman numerals under each row name the function so the move transfers to every key. Learn the move, not the chord. Then do it to your own songs.
Work the families in order if you are new to this. Jump straight to Tritone Substitution or Coltrane if you are not.
Ten families of moves. Everything in this book is one of these, or a stack of them.
Swap a chord for another of the same function (Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant). The safest recolor there is.
The move. One move, plain triads: swap IV (F) for ii (Dm). Both belong to the Subdominant family, so the forward motion is unchanged and the bass now steps down into V. Hold the sevenths until you hear the swap.
Why it works. F and Dm are the same Subdominant color (they share F and A). Trading them keeps the function and tightens the cadence into a ii-V. Once that is in your ear, the jazz line adds the sevenths.
The move. Two Tonic-family swaps, triads only: iii (Em) opens in place of I, and vi (Am) replaces the final I. Add the sevenths afterward.
Why it works. iii and vi each share tones with C and avoid the tendency tone F, so the resting function survives while the phrase no longer announces home.
The move. Dominant-family substitution: replace V7 with the vii half-diminished 7 (written ø7, not o7, which would be fully diminished). This is the one Family 1 move that needs a seventh, because here the color is the substitution.
Why it works. Bm7♭5 (B D F A) is a rootless G9: put a G underneath and you get G B D F A. It carries the same B-F tritone as G7, so the pull home is identical while the bass starts on the leading tone.
The move. The minimalist reharm, triads only: change a single root. V lands on vi (Am) instead of I. Everything before it stays exactly the same.
Why it works. Only the final root moves, C to A. You do not have to alter every chord; postponing the arrival on I is the entire effect. The sevenths are color on top, not the move.
The move. Swap each tonic and subdominant for its relative, triads only: I to vi, IV to ii, I to iii. The V stays put, because a dominant has no same-function relative to trade for.
Why it works. iii (Am) is the weaker tonic substitute: it shares tones with I but gives the bass a less final feeling than vi, so beginners can hear it as a new center. Use it as a passing color, not a resting point.
Keep the roots, add 7ths, 9ths, 6ths, and 13ths. Color without changing the harmonic story.
The move. Add the diatonic 7th to every triad. Nothing about the function changes; the guide tones (3rd and 7th) simply appear.
Why it works. The 7th gives each chord a leading edge and a tail, so voice-leading between chords becomes audible. This is the first move in every jazz reharm.
The move. Stack the 9th on each chord for an open, modern pop-jazz sheen without disturbing roots or function.
Why it works. The 9th sits a whole step above the root, the most consonant available color tone, so it brightens every chord while staying inside the key.
The move. Swap bare major triads for 6, 6/9, and add9 voicings, the Ted-Greene staple for a warm, non-functional glow.
Why it works. The major 6th is more stable than the major 7th on a tonic chord, so it rests without the maj7's slight tension. A favorite final-chord color.
The move. Split the dominant bar: hang a sus4 first, then resolve it to the plain V7. The 4th delays the 3rd's arrival.
Why it works. The sus4 belongs to the Dominant family too, so the function holds while the suspension adds a moment of soft tension before the leading tone bites.
The move. Pile the full set of available tensions on a ii-V-I: 9 on the ii, 13 on the V, 9 on the I.
Why it works. The 13th on the dominant sits a whole step above the b7, ringing as the top of the chord. It is the lushest consonant color a V7 can wear.
Aim a dominant 7th at any chord to tonicize it. The strongest forward pull in tonal music.
The move. Turn the ii7 into a dominant aimed at V. The minor 3rd of Dm7 (F) raises to F#, the leading tone of G.
Why it works. Any diatonic chord can be approached by its own dominant. D7 to G7 is two dominants in a row, the strongest pull in tonal music.
The move. Make every chord in the turnaround a dominant. A7-D7-G7 is a cycle of dominants resolving by descending fifths into C.
Why it works. Each dominant tonicizes the next root. This is the engine under ragtime, gospel, and 'Sweet Georgia Brown'.
The move. Insert E7 to tonicize the relative minor. The G# leading tone pulls hard into A.
Why it works. A bright dominant landing on a minor chord is one of pop's most emotional gestures, the 'I will always love you' lift down to vi.
The move. Drop a b7 onto the tonic so it becomes the dominant of IV. C7 leans into F.
Why it works. The I7 is the most common secondary dominant in all of popular music; it is the chord that turns a hymn into the blues.
The move. Convert the vi7 into A7 so it dominant-resolves into the ii. C# is the new leading tone aimed at D.
Why it works. Threading a secondary dominant into a I-vi-ii-V turnaround injects chromatic motion without leaving the key's orbit.
Replace a dominant with the one a tritone away. Same tritone, new chromatic bass.
The move. Replace G7 with the dominant a tritone away, Db7. Both share the B-F tritone (Db7 spells it Cb-F).
Why it works. The shared tritone keeps the dominant function; the bass now slides chromatically D-Db-C, the signature sound of the tritone sub.
The move. Apply the tritone sub to both dominants in the turnaround. The roots descend by half step: E-Eb-D-Db.
Why it works. Tritone subs turn a cycle-of-fifths turnaround into a smooth chromatic bass line, the classic 'Lady Bird' descent.
The move. Tritone-substitute the secondary dominant. Ab7 replaces D7 and resolves down a half step to G7.
Why it works. Now two chromatic approaches stack up: Ab7 to G7 to C, a descending half-step chain that sounds far richer than the diatonic original.
The move. The blues C7 (V7/IV) gets tritone-subbed to Gb7, which slips down a half step into F.
Why it works. Replacing the expected I7 with a chord a half step above the target is a stealth way to reach IV, beloved of bossa and film writers.
The move. Voice the tritone sub as Db9 so the melody's G rings as the #11, the lush 'lydian dominant' color.
Why it works. On a tritone sub the natural tension is the #11; here it is the melody note itself, which is why the chord sounds gorgeous rather than wrong.
Borrow chords from the parallel minor (or other modes): bVII, iv, bVI, bII.
The move. Borrow bVII from C Mixolydian in place of V. The leading tone vanishes and the cadence turns modal.
Why it works. bVII-IV-I is the backbone of rock from the Beatles to Tom Petty; it resolves by step, not by tritone, so it feels grounded rather than urgent.
The move. Borrow the minor iv from C minor, triads only: F becomes Fm. The 6th scale degree drops from A to A♭ under the held melody.
Why it works. The IV-iv-I motion is the most reliable bittersweet gesture in songwriting, the chromatic descent A♭ to G beneath the tonic. The 6th voicings come after the bare move is in your ear.
The move. Borrow bVI and bVII from C minor for an epic step-up cadence into the major tonic.
Why it works. Ab-Bb-C is the 'Mario' or arena-rock cadence: three roots climbing by whole step into a triumphant I, no leading tone required.
The move. Slide the diatonic iii down a half step to bIII, borrowed from the parallel minor.
Why it works. bIII drops a surprise chromatic root (Eb) into a bright key, the Beatles 'flat-mediant' move that colors a major progression with shadow.
The move. Replace the iv with the Neapolitan, a major triad on the lowered 2nd degree, acting as an intense predominant.
Why it works. bII pushes a half step down into the dominant's root region and lends the cadence a dark, Baroque gravity.
Precede a target chord with a chromatic or diminished neighbor a half step away.
The move. Approach the ii7 from a half step above (Ebm7 to Dm7), a chromatic parallel slide.
Why it works. Any chord can be prefaced by the same chord type a half step away. The parallel motion is smooth and instantly jazzy.
The move. Insert #i-diminished-7 between I and ii. The bass climbs C-C#-D while the diminished chord supplies a quiet pull.
Why it works. The rising diminished passing chord is everywhere in standards ('Ain't Misbehavin') because it connects two diatonic chords by half step.
The move. Bridge IV and V with #iv-diminished-7. The bass walks F-F#-G.
Why it works. F#dim7 is a rootless D7b9 in disguise, so it doubles as both a passing chord and a secondary dominant of V.
The move. Approach the target chord by sliding the same quality down from a half step above (Dbmaj7 into Dm7).
Why it works. Constant-quality chromatic approach is a Hyman trademark. The ear hears one shape gliding into place, not a key change.
The move. Thread a diminished-7 between each diatonic step (I-#io7-ii-#iio7-iii) so the bass climbs entirely by half step.
Why it works. A staircase of diminished passing chords turns three plain chords into a fully chromatic ascent, the lush intro sound of countless ballads.
Hold one bass note, or choose inversions, to draw a melodic line under the harmony.
The move. Hold the tonic in the bass under the moving chords. F/C and G/C keep C ringing below.
Why it works. A pedal anchors restless harmony to home. The chords float while the bass refuses to move, building patient tension.
The move. Sit on the dominant G in the bass while upper chords pass over it, delaying the true V.
Why it works. A dominant pedal coils the harmony, every chord straining toward the release that the held G finally delivers.
The move. Use inversions to carve a stepwise descending bass C-B-A-G under a near-static harmony.
Why it works. The descending tetrachord ('Stairway', 'A Whiter Shade of Pale') turns chord choice into a bass-line decision, the most singable reharm there is.
The move. Place I in first inversion (C/E) so the bass steps up C-E-F-G into the cadence.
Why it works. A rising bass builds momentum toward V. First-inversion tonic is the quiet hinge that makes the climb feel inevitable.
The move. Stack IV over the dominant bass (F/G) for an 11-sus sound that resolves to V.
Why it works. F/G is the warm, unresolved 'gospel' suspension over the dominant root, a single slash that hands you a whole color the triad cannot.
Walk one inner (or bass) voice by half step under a held chord: i, i(maj7), i7, i6.
The move. Hold the minor chord and walk one inner voice down by half step: A-G#-G-F# over a static i.
Why it works. The chromatic descent inside a held minor chord is the 'James Bond' / 'My Funny Valentine' sound, motion without a single root change.
The move. Walk an inner voice up from the 5th: G-G#-A-Bb, giving C-Caug-C6-C7 over a held tonic.
Why it works. The rising augmented line lifts a static major chord toward IV, the 'Something' and 'Dear Prudence' intro sound.
The move. Drop the top voice C-B-Bb-A across I-Imaj7-I7-IV so the line lands on IV's 3rd.
Why it works. This descending cliche pre-writes the voice leading into IV; the ear is pulled there one half step at a time.
The move. Put the same chromatic descent in the bass instead of an inner voice: A-G#-G-F# under a held Am.
Why it works. Moving the cliche to the bass changes its weight entirely, a slow chromatic floor under the chord rather than a hidden inner thread.
The move. Run the minor cliche, then resolve it onto a major IV (D9) borrowed from A Dorian.
Why it works. The descending inner line lands on a sudden bright chord, the 'In My Life' / Dorian lift that recolors the whole phrase.
Divide the octave into equal major thirds for dense, weightless key motion.
The move. Drop Coltrane's three-tonic cycle into a plain ii-V-I. The major keys descend by major thirds: C-Ab-E-C.
Why it works. Replacing one dominant bar with a major-third cycle is the famous 'Giant Steps' substitution, dense tonal motion over a simple frame.
The move. Replace a one-chord vamp with the Coltrane matrix: three major chords a major third apart, returning home.
Why it works. The augmented axis (C-Ab-E) divides the octave evenly, so the cycle feels weightless, every chord equally far from home.
The move. Reharmonize a rhythm-changes turnaround as the complete Coltrane cycle, each major chord launched by its own dominant.
Why it works. The dominants (Eb7, B7, G7) glue the major-third cycle together, the exact device Coltrane laid over standards in 1959-60.
The move. The Dameron turnaround: a chain of major7 chords reached by tritone-sub logic, ending a half step above home (bII).
Why it works. It is the smooth, descending cousin of the Coltrane cycle; bIImaj7 resolves down to I with maximum gloss.
The move. Coltrane's actual 'Countdown' rewrite of a ii-V-I: insert two extra tonics (Bb, Gb) with their dominants before reaching D.
Why it works. Countdown is the proof-of-concept for substituting an entire major-third cycle inside a single ii-V-I, the most studied reharm in jazz.
Backdoor and deceptive cadences, plus parallel non-functional voicings (constant structure).
The move. Replace the front-door ii-V with the backdoor ii-V borrowed from the parallel minor: Fm7-Bb7 into Cmaj7.
Why it works. Bb7 (the bVII dominant) resolves up to C, its b7 (Ab) falling to G. The backdoor cadence is warmer and less urgent than the leading-tone V.
The move. Let the dominant resolve to bVImaj7 instead of I, a chromatic deceptive cadence borrowed from minor.
Why it works. V-bVI is the cinematic 'wrong turn' cadence; the melody's C becomes the 3rd of Abmaj7, so it lands soft rather than jarring.
The move. Expand the plagal 'Amen' with the borrowed iv and a tonic-over-5 ending: IV6-iv6-I/5.
Why it works. The plagal cadence gains its ache from the iv's lowered 6th; ending on I over the dominant bass keeps the resolution gentle.
The move. Keep one chord shape (major7) and move it in parallel under the melody, ignoring diatonic function entirely.
Why it works. Constant structure is color over function: the ear follows the melody while identical voicings glide beneath, the Ted Greene / impressionist sound.
The move. Voice the modal vamp in stacked fourths (the 'So What' voicing) instead of tertian triads.
Why it works. Quartal harmony blurs chord quality, so a modal vamp sounds open and rootless, the gateway from reharmonization into modal composition.
The download folder holds 100 MIDI files, a before and an after for all fifty progressions, named by number and title (for example 16_subV7-of-I_before.mid and 16_subV7-of-I_after.mid). An INDEX.csv lists every file with its key and family.
Each file plays at 92 BPM with the melody on one track and the chord voicing on another, so you can mute the melody, solo the chords, or replace either. The voicings use closest-tone voice leading: each chord moves to the next by the shortest path, which is why they sound like a player and not a chart.
If a file sounds thin in your player, that is your synth, not the file. Assign a real piano or electric-piano patch and the voicings open up.
Chords are written as symbols, not fixed shapes. Cmaj7 tells you the notes; how you spread them across two hands is yours to choose. The MIDI shows one good option. Reharmonization lives in the chord choice; voicing is the next book.
Every technique here is drawn from the standard literature. To go deeper:
And then make it better.