Chords
Altered dominant chord
An altered dominant chord is a dominant seventh chord whose fifth and/or ninth are raised or lowered (♭9, #9, ♭5, #5), which increases its tension before it resolves.
What is an altered dominant chord?
Start from a dominant seventh: G7 = G B D F. Keep the 1, 3, ♭7 skeleton (G, B, F) and move the fifth and ninth by a half step:
| Alteration | On G | Also called |
|---|---|---|
| ♭9 | A♭ | |
| #9 | A# (B♭) | the bluesy minor third |
| ♭5 | D♭ | #11 |
| #5 | D# (E♭) | ♭13 |
The symbol G7alt leaves the choice of alterations to the player. G7♭9 or G7#5#9 tell you exactly which to play. These tones are tense extensions: every one of them sits a half step away from a note of the chord you resolve to (C or Cm).
Where does the altered scale come from?
The G altered scale is G A♭ B♭ B D♭ E♭ F: root, ♭9, #9, 3, ♭5, ♭13, ♭7. It is the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale a half step above: A♭ melodic minor (A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G).
The practical upshot: to solo over G7alt, play your melodic minor fingerings starting from the 4th fret of the low E string (A♭). You already know the scale, you just change the starting note.
Altered dominant voicings on guitar
Fingerings checked string by string, low to high:
- E7#9 (the "Hendrix chord"): x7678x = E G# D G.
- G7#9: x(10)9(10)(11)x = G B F B♭, the same shape as the Hendrix chord, three frets higher.
- G7♭9 (rootless): xx3434 = F B D A♭, a diminished chord shape.
- G7#5 (or G7♭13): 3x344x = G F B E♭.
- G7#5#9: 3x3446 = G F B E♭ B♭.
The 3x3446 shape is the workhorse: root, ♭7 and third at the bottom, two alterations on top. In G7alt, F and B are also the third and seventh of D♭7, which is why altered dominants connect so directly to the tritone substitution.
Example: a ii-V-i in C minor
The natural home of the altered dominant is the minor ii-V-I. Play one bar of each:
- Dm7♭5: x5656x (D A♭ C F)
- G7#5#9: 3x3446 (G F B E♭ B♭)
- Cm9: x3133x (C E♭ B♭ D)
Listen to E♭ on the B string (4th fret) fall to D (3rd fret), and B on the G string (4th fret) fall to B♭ (3rd fret): the voices slide down by half steps into Cm9. Then try G7♭9 (xx3434) instead, for a darker sound. The chord substitutions tool shows this kind of replacement together with playable voicings.
Key takeaways
- G7alt = G, B, F plus an altered fifth and/or ninth.
- Altered scale = 7th mode of the melodic minor a half step up.
- 3x3446 (G7#5#9) and x7678x (E7#9) are the two shapes to learn first.
- Alterations resolve by half step into the next chord.
Frequently asked questions
What does 7alt mean on a chord chart?
It means a dominant chord with at least one altered fifth or ninth, chosen by the player. The perfect fifth and natural ninth are avoided, while the major third and minor seventh are required.
Can you use an altered dominant in a major key?
Yes. G7alt resolves beautifully to C major, especially in jazz. The ♭13 (E♭) then contrasts with the E of the C chord, which makes the resolution stronger. In pop, players usually stick to G7♭9 or G7#9.
Is the Hendrix chord an altered dominant?
Yes. E7#9 (x7678x) contains the major third G# and the #9 (G natural). In blues and rock it is often played as a tonic chord that never resolves, simply for its major-minor clash.
Related terms
- Dominant seventh chord
- Melodic minor scale
- Extended chords (9, 11, 13)
- Tritone substitution
- ii-V-I progression
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.