Guitar scale · super Locrian
Bb Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
Bb 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|------------------------------6-7-9-10-| B|--------------------------7-9----------| G|--------------------6-7-9--------------| D|--------------6-8-9--------------------| A|----------7-9--------------------------| E|-6-7-9-10------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------9-10-12-| B|-----------------------------9-11-12---------| G|------------------------9-11-----------------| D|--------------8-9-11-12----------------------| A|---------9-11--------------------------------| E|-9-10-12-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|----------------------------------11-12-14----------| G|----------------------------11-13-------------------| D|-------------------11-12-14-------------------------| A|----------11-13-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-| B|----------------------------------14-15-17-------| G|-------------------------13-15-16----------------| D|-------------------14-16-------------------------| A|-------13-14-16-17-------------------------------| E|-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-19-| B|-------------------------------------17-19----------| G|-------------------------15-16-18-19----------------| D|-------------------16-18----------------------------| A|----------16-17-19----------------------------------| E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------|
How to play Bb Altered on guitar
Find the root first: Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Bb 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 6–10. 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 | Bb |
| ♭9 | Cb |
| ♯9 | C# |
| 3 | D |
| ♭5 | Fb |
| ♯5 | F# |
| ♭7 | Ab |
Chords in Bb Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Bb Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Bbdim | Bbm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Cbm | Cbm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | C#m | C#m7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | Daug | Dmaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Fb | Fb7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | F# | F#7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Abdim | Abm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise Bb 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.
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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- 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 Bb Altered Scale?
- The Bb Altered Scale has 7 notes: Bb, Cb, C#, D, Fb, F#, Ab.
- What chords are in the Bb Altered Scale?
- The chords of Bb Altered are Bbdim (i°), Cbm (♭ii), C#m (♯iii), Daug (IV+), Fb (♭V), F# (♯VI), Abdim (♭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 Bb Altered on the guitar?
- The root Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 6–10, and four more positions connect it up the neck.