LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Altered chords

DEPiano -- 02/10/2005, 15:03:11 -- #11131

Could someone please tell me exactly what an altered chord is. E.g. What notes are in C7(alt) Thanks for the help

mcjazz! -- 02/10/2005, 15:35:59 -- #11132

A chord where both the ninth and the fifth have been raised/ lowered.

savage -- 02/10/2005, 15:37:43 -- #11133

C7(alt) is a chord based on the C altered scale, consisting of C,Db,D#(Eb),E,F#(Gb),G#(Ab) and Bb. The notes most commonly used in the chord is C,E,G#(Ab),Bb and D#(Eb). In other words 1,3,#5(b6),b7 and #9. savage

albetan -- 02/10/2005, 16:25:55 -- #11135

Please see file "Altered seventh chords" at Albetan's Area.

bopper -- 02/10/2005, 23:42:16 -- #11141

A dominant chord with any combination of the following 5 degrees - b9;#9; #11/b5; b13; 13. The Barry Harris method uses a minor 6th diminished scale a half step above the dominant chord as the 'altered' scale.  This works out to be Dbminor 6  dim. against C7 or Db, Eb, E, Gb, Ab, A, Bb, C. Similar but more complete than what Savage suggests. I got this and a ton more from his Workshop Video (dvd) purchased recently from www.jazzworkshops.com.

savage -- 02/11/2005, 09:39:34 -- #11161

Hmm...that´s interesting. I´ve always thought of 13b9 chords as being derived from the diminished scale. Are you sure he doesn´t just use the 13 as a passing tone to make it an eight note scale, so he can connect his lines more smoothly? Another thing that i (and many other players) do frequently to connect the altered scale with the chords is skipping the #11, making it a six note scale. That way the scale also gets more comfortable for the hands so it gets easier to do fast runs.

Scot -- 02/11/2005, 12:47:48 -- #11163

There's another school of thought about altered 7th chords that says the altered notes of the chord are determined by the melody of the song. If the song has a b9, #13, b5 in it, then those are the notes that we alter in the 7th chord.

7 -- 02/11/2005, 13:40:04 -- #11164

Here's another point of view on altered chords: "Altered 7th Chords" Use of altered chords and their corresponding scale possiblities. http://www.Jeff-Brent.com/Lessons/altered.html

Peteboypete -- 02/12/2005, 12:36:18 -- #11182

On a similar subject, I am starting to take lessons with saxophonist Bobby Watson.  During our first lesson last week he told me to learn to identify the altered dom. types (b9, #9, and #11) by ear. What is the best way to go about learning to hear the sound of these chords - my guitar player friend told me that #9 is the "Hendrix chord" on guitar and has helped a lot with that sound.

albetan -- 02/12/2005, 16:00:08 -- #11189

That chord mentioned by Peteboypete may be performed in piano with 3 notes: C7#9 = C in bass and E Bb D# upper. An easy way is to play 3  b7  b3 like E Bb Eb... That produces an exciting dominant chord very used in jazz and soul and rock in 60’s and 70’s in the days of Hendrix.

sid -- 02/12/2005, 16:50:56 -- #11190

Another way to remember #9: it's the "Beep beep" chord in "Drive my car" by the Beatles. sid

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