Guitar scale · super Locrian
A Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Altered Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-9-| B|-------------------------6-8---------| G|-------------------5-6-8-------------| D|-------------5-7-8-------------------| A|---------6-8-------------------------| E|-5-6-8-9-----------------------------|
e|------------------------------------8-9-11-| B|----------------------------8-10-11--------| G|-----------------------8-10----------------| D|-------------7-8-10-11---------------------| A|--------8-10-------------------------------| E|-8-9-11------------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|---------------------------------10-11-13---------| G|---------------------------10-12------------------| D|------------------10-11-13------------------------| A|---------10-12-13---------------------------------| E|-9-11-13------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-| B|----------------------------------13-14-16-------| G|-------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|-------------------13-15-------------------------| A|-------12-13-15-16-------------------------------| E|-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|-------------------------14-15-17-18----------------| D|-------------------15-17----------------------------| A|----------15-16-18----------------------------------| E|-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Altered on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭9 | Bb |
| ♯9 | B# |
| 3 | C# |
| ♭5 | Eb |
| ♯5 | E# |
| ♭7 | G |
Chords in A Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Adim | Am7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Bbm | Bbm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | B#m | B#m7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | C#aug | C#maj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Eb | Eb7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | E# | E#7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Gdim | Gm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Altered anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
Free
- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
- A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
- A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
- No subscription, ads removed
Questions
- What notes are in the A Altered Scale?
- The A Altered Scale has 7 notes: A, Bb, B#, C#, Eb, E#, G.
- What chords are in the A Altered Scale?
- The chords of A Altered are Adim (i°), Bbm (♭ii), B#m (♯iii), C#aug (IV+), Eb (♭V), E# (♯VI), Gdim (♭vii°).
- What is the formula of the altered scale?
- 1 ♭9 ♯9 3 ♭5 ♯5 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W H W W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Altered on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.