Who this is for
Players who know seventh chords and 6th/9th chords and want the jazz, funk and gospel colours. Already spell and play 13ths and altered dominants? Test out on Day 6.
Best done after: Suspended & Colour Chords, Seventh Chords. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Seventh chords are the base of jazz harmony. Add the 9th, 11th and 13th, or alter the 5th and 9th, and you get the rich, tense, colourful chords of jazz, funk, gospel and film music.
They look intimidating on a chart (C7♯9♭13) but follow simple logic: the same stack of thirds, and a handful of alterations that all increase tension on a dominant chord. This program teaches the logic one step at a time.
What you will be able to do
- Extensions: 9, 11 and 13
- The altered notes: ♭9, ♯9, ♭5 (♯11), ♯5 (♭13)
- Dominant colour chords: 7♭9, 7♯9, 7♯11
- 13th and minor 11th chords
- The altered dominant (7alt)
- Tritone substitution
- Spelling altered notes correctly
The 6-day plan
- Stacking thirds: 9, 11 and 13. Build 9th, 11th and 13th chords as stacked thirds and name their notes.
- Altering the dominant: ♭9, ♯9, ♯11. Spell 7♭9, 7♯9, 7♭5 and 7♯11 chords and hear their colour.
- 13th chords and minor 11ths. Name and build 13th, minor 11th and major 7♯11 chords.
- The altered dominant and tritone substitution. Know what a 7alt chord is and how a tritone substitution works.
- Slash chords and polychords. Tell an inversion from an added bass note, and name what a triad over a bass note makes.
- Spelling and reading altered chords. Spell altered notes correctly (♯9 is not ♭3) and read any extended symbol.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
Chord-Scale Theory: The 5-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an extension and an alteration?
An extension is a note stacked above the seventh (9, 11, 13) in its natural position. An alteration is one of those notes (or the 5th) raised or lowered by a half step (♭9, ♯9, ♯11, ♭13).
Why is the 11th usually ♯11 on dominant chords?
A natural 11th clashes with the major 3rd (a half step apart). Raising it gives the smoother Lydian dominant sound.
What does 7alt mean?
A dominant chord with altered 5th and 9th (♭9, ♯9, ♭5 or ♯5, ♭13). It is the most tense dominant, and it resolves strongly to the tonic.
What is a tritone substitution?
Replacing a dominant 7th (G7) with the dominant a tritone away (D♭7). They share the same 3rd and 7th (swapped), so D♭7 resolves to C as smoothly as G7 does. It is common in jazz.
Do I play every note of a 13th chord?
No. Typical voicings leave out the 5th and 11th. The 3rd, 7th and the colour notes (9, 13, or the alterations) carry the sound.