Forced Resolution

[keyofc]

Is anyone familiar with how to do forced resolution in a jazz or non-jazz style?

[pianistimo]

a pattern of sixth chords descending step-wise until you get where you want to be? 

[keyofc]

Thanks, Pianimisto -
I'm not sure about the 6ths - I'll have to try it
I have a friend who plays fantastic jazz chords - but is really not easy
to follow for me.
He uses chords (kind of surprise chords)
For instance he may use instead of a  G chord - a Eb seventh.
Eb in LH - Db f a in RH
so the bass really needs to go down a half step to D
and RH plays D7
It sounds really good - he used that in "IT came upon the midnight clear:
I'm not near piano now - but I think it was in the transition part.
first part end of line.
sorry if this is vague. doing the best away from the piano here....

how would you do your 6ths?  Maybe you have a different way..

[Bob]

You're not talking about tritone substition, are you?

Instead of playing the dominant, play the chord a tritone away, which is a half-step above the tonic. 

[mknueven]

Hi Bob,
I don't know - it might be that.
It's a cool sound - that I sometimes do on purpose - and other times can't do.
I have a friend that can do it al the time - but can't pin him down on what he's doing.

Can you give me an example? written or otherwise?

[Bob]

I IV V I

but instead...

I IV bII I

or...
C F G C
to..
C F Db C

Dominant seventh chords.  There are two notes common between V7's with roots tritone away.

[mknueven]

Bob,
If I was going to use tritone sub-
and I'm in the key of C
wouldn't I instead of doing a GBDF do a - DbFB (drop the G that is now a fifth instead a root)
for the purpose of going to AbCEb?

In oher words - just flat the fifth - thereby making it a tritone?
Is this considered forced resolution?
Probably...since I'm forcing Ab to resolve instead of C?
any jazz theorists out there?

[Bob]

I'm not a jazzer.  If just head you can swap out the Dom7 of that key for a Dom7 a tritone away.  I didn't think it was supposed to resolve to the b6 though (Ab).  I thought the point was just to use a different chord for a different sound, but it didn't affect the overall progression really.  That's my understanding at least.  So if I see a II bII I, I'm thinking "Oh, yes, that's really a II V I, but it's got a tritone substitution."

I hadn't thought about viewing one chord from the other.  They are pretty much V7b5's though, aren't they?  Symmetrical.  Isn't that a Fr+6th too? 

As far as I know, it's just swapped out chords for a fresh new sound.  I haven't heard of a forced resolution before.  Unless it's something with a V I where the tones don't move "right" in order to avoid parallel fifth or octaves.  I remember one of those tones has to move in an odd way in one of those situations.