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E 7alt (E7alt)

Download MIDI
1+3+b7+b9+#9+b13
EDFGCG#
4 4

Notes in E 7alt

E (root)G#DFGC

Inversions

Same notes as E 7alt, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

E in the bass

EDFGCG#

1st inversion

G# in the bass (E7alt/G#)

DFGCEG#

2nd inversion

D in the bass (E7alt/D)

DFGCEG#

3rd inversion

F in the bass (E7alt/F)

FGCEDG#

4th inversion

G in the bass (E7alt/G)

GCEDFG#

5th inversion

C in the bass (E7alt/C)

CEDFGG#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like E 7alt can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

E on the bottom

EGDFCG#

Drop 3

E on the bottom

EFDGCG#

Play E, G#, D, F, G and C together and you get E 7alt.

Short for altered dominant. It bundles the most common alterations, flat nine, sharp nine and flat thirteen, into one tense dominant with no natural fifth. Jazz soloists treat it as the sound of the altered scale, built to resolve as strongly as possible.

Related chords

E7b9E7#9E7b13

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Extended chords. Click any highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.