Altered Harmony & USTs

Once you understand the concept of extended harmony, it to introduce altered tones by raising or lowering the upper extensions of the chord.

This course starts with the altered major 251 progression which allows you to create more interesting progressions in major keys. Altered toned include b9s #9s #11s and #5s / b13s . We use altered tones to add tension and dissonance to our chord progressions which makes the resolution to the 1 chord even sweeter.

One of the hallmarks of the minor 251 progression, is an altered V chord. The 2 handed minor 251 is a useful progression to familiarise yourself with the sound and shape of altered chords and help you visualise where these tones are located on the keyboard.

The final 4 theory videos in this course cover Upper Structure Triads – also known as Upper Structures . We start with simple examples and then gradually increase the complexity of the voicings.

Upper Structures are a complex topic but will take your playing forwards and add sophistication and interest to your dominant chords. Learning and memorising upper structures is no small task but the upper structure tutorials and lesson supplements will help you master this important area of jazz harmony.

The jazz standards studies in the course contain a lot of altered harmony and upper structures so you can see how powerful these chords are in practice!