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High-Yield Music Theory, Vol. 4: Jazz Theory

Section 4.1.9
ALTERATIONS
Unaltered
extensions
Natural nine
Flat nine
Sharp nine

OF

An extension (ninth, eleventh, or thirteenth) is unaltered if it follows the

major scale built on the root of that chord. Extensions may be lowered or
raised a half step by changing the accidental. Lowered extensions are
flatted, and raised extensions are sharped. So a natural ninth (or natural
nine) follows the major scale built on the chord root, a flatted ninth (or flat
nine) means a lowered ninth, and a sharped ninth (or sharp nine) means a
raised ninth. Remember: a ninth is the same as a second.

w
& w

bw
& w
b9

Natural eleven
Sharp eleven

CHORD EXTENSIONS

An eleventh is the same as a fourth. A natural eleventh (or natural eleven)

always means follow the major scale, and sharp eleventh (or sharp eleven)
means raise the eleventh a half step, regardless of the accidentals used.

11

& w
w
Natural thirteen
Sharp thirteen

#11 = b5

& # w bw
w w

A thirteenth is the same as a sixth. A natural thirteenth (or natural

thirteen) always means major sixth, and flat thirteenth (or flat thirteen)
means lowered thirteenth, regardless of the accidentals used.

13

& w
w
Flat eleven
Sharp thirteen

#w b w
& w w

#9 = minor 3rd

b13

= #5

& bw # w
w w

Flat eleven and sharp thirteen are never used. A flat eleven is the same as a
major third, and a sharp thirteen is the same as a minor seventh.

b11 = major 3rd

& bw
w

w
w

#13 = minor 7th

& #w
w

bw
w

Volume 4, Chapter 1: Jazz Theory Fundamentals

Spelling
alterations

Depending on the root, unaltered (natural) extensions may actually use

naturals, flats, sharps, or even double flats or double sharps. In the example
below, a natural ninth above D flat is actually E flat, because a D flat major
scale uses E flat, not E natural. For extensions, flat means the major scale
version lowered a half step, and sharp means the major scale version
raised a half step, no matter what the actual accidentals are.

bw
& bw
9

All the possible

alterations

23

nw b w
& b w bw

w
& bw

#9 = minor 3rd

b9

Because flat eleven and sharp thirteen are enharmonic with the major third
and minor seventh, only four altered extensions are possible: flat nine,
sharp nine, sharp eleven, and flat thirteen.

b9

&b w
w

#9

# ww

#11

#w
w

b13

bw
w