Question about the altered dominant sound

[DonEsteban]

I've been experimenting with using altered dominants modally and have a question about the altered dominant sound in general.

If I play a major triad and add a b9 to it, it clashes in a "musically unappealing" way, to my ears (and according to jazz conventions). If I arpegiate the major triad I can get away with adding the b9 to a degree, it merely becomes an "avoid note", or a chromatic approach note, or however you want to approach using it melodically.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Altered dominant chords and their respective scales are not primarily thought to be used in a modal concept.
They have their place in functional harmony where they do a great job enhancing tension and offering more voice leading possibilities. This is even more the case in a minor context, as the natural minor doesn't provide a diatonic dominant chord with the crucial tritone interval. The sound of the altered chord/scale makes sense in a horizontal movement from dominant to tonic, not that much as a mode.

That's why you'll hardly find a piece where the altered chord/scale is used as a mode. Don't confuse this with modal pieces where they use for example dominant#9 (Scofield all the time). Normally they mean "dominant plus the minor third" which is something entirely different (sort of blues scale).

Having said that, even if you use the altered scale/chords in a functional context, you'll need time and practice to get used to it. It's not something that appeals immediately.

[christianm77]

I have written pieces where the altered scale is used modally. It's a cool sound.

[pingu]

I haven't studied Ted, but I do love voicing major seventh chords with the root and seventh in the middle.

Could you post a couple of those ?
I like em too but I can't reach em

Tough on our instrument

[DeathByIcePants]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Altered dominant chords and their respective scales are not primarily thought to be used in a modal concept.
They have their place in functional harmony where they do a great job enhancing tension and offering more voice leading possibilities. This is even more the case in a minor context, as the natural minor doesn't provide a diatonic dominant chord with the crucial tritone interval. The sound of the altered chord/scale makes sense in a horizontal movement from dominant to tonic, not that much as a mode.

That's why you'll hardly find a piece where the altered chord/scale is used as a mode. Don't confuse this with modal pieces where they use for example dominant#9 (Scofield all the time). Normally they mean "dominant plus the minor third" which is something entirely different (sort of blues scale).

Having said that, even if you use the altered scale/chords in a functional context, you'll need time and practice to get used to it. It's not something that appeals immediately.

Yeah I know how to use it functionally for the most part, in the sense of it being the V of harmonic minor, but it's def possible to use it in tons of places else progression-wise and the tension it creates as a static vamp by itself is also awesome...I've heard bands use it this way (Exivious comes to mind) and it works