F 7alt (F7alt)

Download MIDI
1+3+b7+b9+#9+b13
FAEbGbG#Db
4 4

Notes in F 7alt

F (root)AEbGbG#Db

Inversions

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

Root position

F in the bass

FAEbGbG#Db

1st inversion

A in the bass (F7alt/A)

AFEbGbG#Db

2nd inversion

Eb in the bass (F7alt/Eb)

FAEbGbG#Db

3rd inversion

Gb in the bass (F7alt/Gb)

FAGbG#DbEb

4th inversion

G# in the bass (F7alt/G#)

FAG#DbEbGb

5th inversion

Db in the bass (F7alt/Db)

FADbEbGbG#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like F 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

F on the bottom

FAG#EbGbDb

Drop 3

F on the bottom

FAGbEbG#Db

F 7alt consists of F, A, Eb, Gb, G# and Db, played at the same time.

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.

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.