Nother Chord Theory Question ?

Papa Joe Pollick · From: Swanton, Ohio

BIAB again,They call it F#7 "alt".I can't find any reference to the term "alt".I'm playing a F#7 and adding a G note.That makes it a dim.Sounds right.What is another symbol for "alt"??Help for the musically impaired..PJ

John Steele (deceased) · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

Hi Papa Joe,
"Alt" is short for altered. Altered chords are all dominant chords (contain the flattened seventh).
They are called altered chords because they contain the maximum number of alterations possible to a dominant chord: both b9 and #9, #11 and b13

There are lots of different ways to voice an altered chord, but one of the most common ways steel players do it on C6 is by using pedal 6 & 7 together. The position (or the way I remember it, anyway) is one fret above open chord position. In your example, F#alt, since F# is found at the 6th fret, then F#alt is found at the 7th fret with pedal 6 and 7. Be forewarned, you have no root under it on the low strings as you do with alot of dominant chords. You can use anything from string 7 through 3, and you can even strum it if you like.

There are several threads on the forum with links to examples by the greats... one that springs to mind was on Buddy Emmons' site, but he used the single note scale in that example rather than the chord itself. That's what's going on in the last two bars of "At E's", for instance.
The fact that you're using an F#7 with a G on top means you're on the right track ! What you've done is created a 7b9 chord, and as I mentioned b9 is one of the elements of an altered chord. It's not necessary to express every note possible in any given chord, so either 7b9 or 7#9 (which people persist in calling "the boo-wah chord") is an acceptable thing to use in that situation.
You'll notice that if you voice the alt chord as I mentioned above with string 3 on the top, you end up with the same note on top as the "boo-wah chord" : #9.
Hope that helps.
-John
p.s. http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=126438

Papa Joe Pollick · From: Swanton, Ohio

Thanks John,I figured the alt ment altered.Just couldn't understand what in the world was to be altered.I still don't understand it but your explanation has at least got me to studying.Some of it is coming through.I'm slow. Laughing

.PJ

Jim Robbins · From: Ontario, Canada

"Alt" usually means it's a dominant 7 with a flat 5th. The rest (i.e., 9ths and 13ths) are up for grabs, depending on context. They are often the minor versions or aug 9, but you can sometimes get away with interesting mixes.

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