Concepts for Comping: Lesson 29
- Jay EuDaly
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
June 2026 Newsletter
Concepts for Comping: Lesson 29
Alterations: Major (4-Voice)
Many times when using 4-note open and close-voiced chords, the note on the 2nd string needs to be altered. In an open-voiced chord that would be the 5th. For a close-voiced chord it would be the 9th.
There are three things that determine how and when to alter the note on the 2nd string:
1. The melody: If the melody note is the altered note, then the chord must be altered to accommodate the melody accordingly. This issue will be dealt with in detail as we go through the next group of songs.
2. Voice leading: Sometimes the melody is such that it's not relevant to how you might alter a chord. Various alterations could be used without conflicting with the melody. In that case you can alter to taste – or not. Sometimes the chord progression itself suggests or requires a certain alteration. A very common example would be when you have a II-V in a minor key – open to close. The II chord is a minor 7(b5). The V chord in that case is almost always an altered dominant 9, either a sharp 9 or more commonly, a b9. The b5 of the II chord becomes the b9 of the V chord. See the previous lesson on II-V-I in a Minor Key.
3. If neither of the previous issues are in play then 2 things:
What do you want to hear?
What is easiest to grab?
This month's lesson is on alterations to the Major 7 chord.
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Video Lesson:
Quick & Dirty 9th Chords
A 9th can be added to anything but most commonly it’s added to Major 7 (Cmaj9), Dominant 7 (C9) and Minor 7 (C-9) chords.
There will be 2 positions, 6th-string root and 5th-string root. I'll put both positions at the 8th fret, therefore the 6th-string root is C and the 5th-string root is F.
Knowing these two positions enables you to drill the chords around the Key Circle. If you don't know “drill around the Circle” see the next section below on the 5-Lesson Foundational Series.
For a complete lesson series on 9th chords, see Unit 7: 9th Chords.
How About 5 Lessons?
The 5-Lesson Foundational Series teaches the Circle of Keys as an organizational mechanism by which you ensure that whatever you learn is drilled in every key in all possible positions. It also gives you a method to find any note, anywhere, without memorizing note names on every string. That is a beautiful thing!
Almost every lesson I teach presupposes these 5 lessons.
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Blogs Published Since Last Newsletter
Dave’s Not Here, Man! The only connection this story has to anything even remotely related to music, the guitar or playing in bands is that two of the main characters are myself and the lead singer of the band I was in, Open Road Conspiracy. No jam tale, no guitar lesson...just a story I wanted to preserve because it’s so improbable. I’ve been sitting on it for 55 years! I have not exaggerated or embellished it in any way - you’ll just have to trust me on that.
Concepts for Comping: Lesson 28: May Newsletter: Concepts for Comping: II-V-I’s in Minor Keys. Video: 9th Chords in the Blues and more…
Tune of the Month
Who Can I Turn To?
This is from a ghetto-blaster gig tape of the original host band of the Saturday Afternoon Jam. It was recorded August 18, 1984 at Harling's Upstairs in Kansas City. That jam session is still going every Saturday, though the venue has changed a couple of times over the years. I am the last original band member still on the stage every Saturday afternoon. Yes, I've been playing the gig for over 40 years! It's been a huge part of my playing experience and career. Some of the stories associated with the Jam are in Jam Tales.
Jim LaForte is the singer and had one of the most authentic R&B/Soul voices of anyone I've worked with.
You can read about Jim and the genesis of the Jam at: JAM! Kansas City Style.
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