ArpeggiosEN

Scale quality

altered

The altered scale is the seventh degree of melodic minor, and it is the most tension-filled choice for a dominant chord: a root with every upper degree altered — flat second, flat third, flat fourth, flat fifth, flat sixth and flat seventh. Because it contains both the flat fifth and the flat ninth, it covers the altered dominant sound completely, and its flat fourth and flat sixth are the enharmonic equivalents of the major third and thirteenth, which is why it works over a plain 7 as well. Jazz improvisers use it over V7alt chords. Listen for how every colour note leans toward resolution.

Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Notes
C♯ D E F G A B
Family
Melodic minor modes

Notation in C♯

representative key
441♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71

Fretboard — frets 0–12

C♯ altered — frets 0 to 12, 48 notes, roots in orange♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71♭2♭3♭71♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭7♭5♭6♭71♭2♭3♭4♭5♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71♭2♭6♭71♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71♭2♭30123456789101112
C♯ altered — frets 0 to 12, 48 notes, roots in orange♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71♭2♭3♭71♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭7♭5♭6♭71♭2♭3♭4♭5♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71♭2♭6♭71♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭3♭4♭5♭6♭71♭2♭30123456789101112

All 17 keys

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Same family

How to practise this scale

  • Play the flat fifth and flat ninth together and hear the full alteration.
  • Improvise over a V7alt chord and resolve the flat sixth down a half-step.
  • Compare it with mixolydian and hear every colour note move.
  • Play the scale in pairs of altered notes and listen for the pull home.