Two Patterns That Work Over EVERY Dominant Chord

Main Ideas

Dominant Seventh Chords and Secondary Dominants

Dominant seventh chords are flexible: their tensions can create bright or darker sounds. An altered dominant is a dominant seventh chord with at least one altered tension: ♭9, ♯9, ♭5/♯11, or ♯5/♭13. A scale may contain more than one altered tension.

A practical way to think about secondary dominants is to compare the chord with the notes of the current key. Often, the chord’s third is the note that differs. For example:

• V7 of ii in B♭: Combining the B♭ major scale with G7 yields G–A–B♭–B–C–D–E♭–F. B natural is the added note; B♭ can function as a ♯9.
• V7 of V in F: The resulting collection includes E natural, giving a different color.

Tritone Substitutions

The third and seventh of a dominant chord are a tritone apart. Those notes can also serve as the seventh and third of another dominant chord whose root is a tritone away. Because the chords share the same guide tones, one dominant can substitute for the other.

Tritone substitutions can create chromatic motion. A common use is replacing the V7 in a ii–V–I progression with ♭II7. The video also demonstrates substitutions involving other chord types and progressions, including ways to move between keys a tritone apart.

The video connects altered dominants and tritone substitutions through melodic-minor scales: the altered scale is the seventh mode of melodic minor, while the Lydian dominant scale is its fourth mode. In practice, the bass player’s root helps determine whether shared notes are heard as an altered dominant or its tritone substitute.

Applying the Ideas to Rhythm Changes

• The A section’s familiar I–vi–ii–V progression is often reharmonized with dominant seventh chords. The video demonstrates using dominants through much of the section.
• The B section uses secondary dominants. One suggested approach is to add the dominant chord’s third to the notes of the home key. For example, in B♭, add F♯ for D7, B natural for G7, and E natural for C7.
• F7 can use Mixolydian for a more conventional sound or the F altered scale (F melodic minor) for a more modern color.

Reading Big-Band Chord Symbols

Chord symbols may describe the horn arrangement rather than prescribe a guitar voicing. Start with the chord’s third and seventh, then add a tension indicated by the symbol. The symbol can also indicate which notes to avoid:

• A ♭9 or ♯9 indication rules out a natural 9.
• A ♭5 indication allows altered fifths but rules out a natural 5.
• A ♯11 or ♭13 indication can still allow a natural 5, so use judgment.

Keeping Comping Decisions Simple

Guitarists often omit the root. Since a dominant seventh chord and its tritone substitute share their third and seventh, the bass note can determine how the guitar’s notes function. Choose broadly natural or altered colors rather than getting stuck on every tension label.

Two Soloing Patterns

The video presents two movable patterns for dominant seventh chords. Their function changes depending on which note is treated as the root.

Pattern 1

• With the natural root placement, the pattern covers ♭7, root, 3, 5, 13, root, and 9.
• With the root placed at the tritone-substitute position, the same notes are heard as 3, ♭5, ♭7, ♭9, ♯9, and ♭13.

Pattern 2

• With the natural root placement, the pattern covers ♭7, root, 9, 3, 5, 13, and ♭7.
• With the root placed at the tritone-substitute position, it becomes 3, ♭5, ♭13, ♭7, ♭9, and ♯9, returning to the 3.

These patterns can be applied to dominant chords using common fifth-string and sixth-string root positions. The same fingering can provide natural or altered colors depending on the root and the bass note.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Dr. George Hess — presenter and narrator; the video also includes musical demonstrations.
• No other named speakers are identified in the subtitles.