C#alt

C#alt is C#, E#, A, B and D, a altered dominant. The shape this page opens on is written x43021, lowest string first.

There are 9 common shapes for C#alt on the guitar, and 22 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x43021, x43x23, x45063, x43663, x4566x, 9-8-x-10-8-9, x-x-11-10-8-9, 9-10-11-10-x-9, x-x-11-12-14-13.

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. C#alt has x4343x, 9897xx, x-x-11-10-12-10, x4x465, 9-x-9-10-10-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. C#alt has xx0201, x2323x, xx3435, xx7767, x-x-9-10-10-10, x-12-12-10-12-x, x-x-12-14-12-13, x-14-15-14-15-x.

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. C#alt has x00067, x0046x.

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

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