Guitar scale · super Locrian
B Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
B 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|-----------------------------------7-8-10-11-| B|------------------------------8-10-----------| G|-----------------------7-8-10----------------| D|----------------7-9-10-----------------------| A|-----------8-10------------------------------| E|-7-8-10-11-----------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|---------------------------------10-12-13----------| G|---------------------------10-12-------------------| D|----------------9-10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-12------------------------------------| E|-10-11-13------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-15-| B|----------------------------------12-13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-------------------| D|-------------------12-13-15-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-11-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-| B|----------------------------------15-16-18-------| G|-------------------------14-16-17----------------| D|-------------------15-17-------------------------| A|-------14-15-17-18-------------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-19-20-| B|-------------------------------------18-20----------| G|-------------------------16-17-19-20----------------| D|-------------------17-19----------------------------| A|----------17-18-20----------------------------------| E|-17-19-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play B Altered on guitar
Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B 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 7–11. 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 | B |
| ♭9 | C |
| ♯9 | D |
| 3 | D# |
| ♭5 | F |
| ♯5 | G |
| ♭7 | A |
Chords in B Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Cm | Cm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | Dm | Dm7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | D#aug | D#maj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | F | F7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | G | G7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Adim | Am7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise B 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
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Questions
- What notes are in the B Altered Scale?
- The B Altered Scale has 7 notes: B, C, D, D#, F, G, A.
- What chords are in the B Altered Scale?
- The chords of B Altered are Bdim (i°), Cm (♭ii), Dm (♯iii), D#aug (IV+), F (♭V), G (♯VI), Adim (♭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 B Altered on the guitar?
- The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.