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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
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OP
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BIAB has a chord type designated by "alt". It is not listed in the included guitar chord dictionary. So there must be another name for it. Anyone know what it is?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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"Alt" chord is a common designator, typically used in jazz but can be used for a few other genres at times, and it means that the player has a choice as to how to alter the chord. The alteration is always either b5, #5, b9, #9, with the latter two maybe used less often, it is also not uncommon to play two of the alterations at the same time in the same ALT chord, say, b5 and #9, together, as well. Or three of them (!) as in G7b5,#5,b9. Spelling, G,B,Db,D#,F,G#. Avoid close harmonies, though, best used in open voicings most of the time. Typically used with dom7 in there also. There are rules governing which one you might pick at a given time, with the #5/b5 bing "kind of" interchangeable, depending upon a few other things such as Melody note or plain old musical taste. Of very good use as transitions, as opposed to those chords one might "land on". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_chord --Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2009
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OP
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Hey Mac! Is your wife as impressed with you as the rest of us? I will print your answer out so that I can study it. So we don't know what variation BIAB is using except to "hear" it?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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Hi Joe - Mac's right - but your question was "What is an Alt Chord?" If someone says play a C13#11, chord freaks know precisely what notes constitute that chord, then may argue about what notes to include and not include, and how to voice. The Alt chords, on the other hand, are really a class of chords, with numerous possible variations, as Mac has noted. If someone says play a Calt, things are not so well defined, but certainly not arbitrary. So that raises a question for those who have looked in to this (Mac?) - How does BIAB interpret Alt chords, and why does BIAB even acknowledge them at all. I would think BIAB, who has to actually play these chords, would just tell it like it is, like Cb9#5?
kelso
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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I'm sitting here trying to hear the notes on the guitar while you experts advise me. All I know is that (like an insane person) I hear chords in my head and am trying to find them. Perhaps I am musically insane?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joe,
It will seem that way until you have worked more with chord progressions, theory and, most importantly, the scales and how the chords are built from them.
Once you have worked more of that out, all of a sudden the infinite becomes very finite indeed.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
How does BIAB interpret Alt chords.
It varies, as it should.
In the Real Tracks, it depends on whatever the artist chose to play. In general I hear more #9 than the others, but it's very much dependent on what chords precede and follow.
In MIDI, you can get a feel for this by entering a chord (any chord, but it's fun with an alt chord) on the Chordsheet, and do Shift+Enter to hear it. Keep pressing Shift+Enter and you will usually hear the program try different tones and inversions.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I get the feeling that note choice and inversion may also be somewhat style dependant, too, but have never sat down to figure it all out.
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