Bbalt guitar chord

3rd inversion · Ab in the bass
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Inversion
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About Bbalt — inversions voicings

Bbalt is an altered dominant: it keeps the root, major 3rd, and flat 7th of , then changes upper notes. This page spells it Bb, D, Ab, C# and Gb.

Here the altered notes are and . “Alt” is a family name, so another usable voicing can choose different alterations.

Also written Bb7alt, Bb7altered or Bb altered dominant.

Bbalt inversions guitar chord diagram: Bb, D, Ab, C#, Gb, played xx6779
Bbalt inversions guitar chord voicing: x-x-6-7-7-9.

What an inversion is

How to use Bbalt

1The V of a minor ii–V–i

V in E♭ minor

Alt is not one chord but an instruction: a dominant with its ninth and fifth altered. Its usual home is between Fm7b5 and Ebm6, where the ♭13 is already the minor third of the chord it resolves to.

Listen for: The ii’s minor third falls a whole step to the V’s ♭13, which holds as the minor third of the i.

2A secondary dominant in major

I – VI7alt – ii – V

In a major key Bbalt works as the V of the ii: Dbmaj7, Bbalt, Ebm7, Ab7. Its ♭13 is the minor third of the ii it leads to.

Listen for: The top voice rises a half step to the ♭13 and then stays put: minor third of the ii, flat seventh of the V.

What to play over Bbalt

Useful scales

Every scale

Chords near Bbalt

Remove a note

Change one note

  • open strings
    open strings
    C# → C

    Lower the sharp ninth to the ninth.

    See Bbaug9 chord →
  • 3rd inversion
    3rd inversion
    Gb → F

    Lower the flat thirteenth to the fifth.

    See Bb7#9 chord →

Altered dominant chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
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Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode