Aalt

Aalt is A, C#, E#, G and Bb, a altered dominant. The shape this page opens on is written x0122x, lowest string first.

There are 10 common shapes for Aalt on the guitar, and 24 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x0122x, x07645, 54x645, xx7645, 5676x5, x-x-7-8-10-9, x-0-11-8-10-9, x-12-11-x-10-11, x-12-11-14-14-11, x-12-13-14-14-x.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Aalt has 5453xx, x0566x, xx7686, x-12-11-12-11-x, x0x021, x0x026, 5x566x, x-12-x-12-14-13.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Aalt has x1302x, xx3323, xx5666, x8868x, x-x-8-10-8-9, x-10-11-10-11-x, x-x-11-12-11-13, x-x-15-15-14-15.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Aalt has x03323.

Tensions. A shell of Aalt, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (D#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.