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Altering the 9th, 11th, and 13th
Builds on Extended Chords: 9ths, 11ths, 13ths
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An altered dominant raises or lowers one of a dominant chord's upper extensions — the 9th, 11th, or 13th — by a semitone, adding extra tension before an especially strong resolution. Altered dominants are a jazz-harmony staple, almost always appearing right before a resolution to a minor (or sometimes major) tonic.
Common alterations: ♭9 and ♯9 (a minor or augmented 9th above the root — the ♯9 is the famous 'Hendrix chord' sound), and ♯11 or ♭13. Multiple alterations can even stack in the same chord. The 'altered scale' from an earlier lesson covers exactly these alteration options — a dominant chord and the altered scale built on the same root share the same available tensions.
⚠️ Common mistake
Assuming any dissonant-sounding dominant chord must be altered. A plain dominant 7th is already dissonant by design — 'altered' specifically means one of the upper extensions has been raised or lowered from its usual diatonic form, not just 'sounds tense.'
📝 Summary
Altered dominants raise or lower a dominant chord's 9th, 11th, or 13th for extra tension before resolving — ♯9 (the 'Hendrix chord'), ♭9, ♯11, and ♭13 are the most common alterations, often stacked together in jazz harmony.
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