Guitar scale · super Locrian
C Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
C 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|------------------------------------8-9-11-12-| B|-------------------------------9-11-----------| G|------------------------8-9-11----------------| D|----------------8-10-11-----------------------| A|-----------9-11-------------------------------| E|-8-9-11-12------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-12-14-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|----------------------------11-13-------------------| D|----------------10-11-13-14-------------------------| A|----------11-13-------------------------------------| E|-11-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-16-| B|----------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|----------------------------13-15-------------------| D|-------------------13-14-16-------------------------| A|----------13-15-16----------------------------------| E|-12-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-| B|----------------------------------16-17-19-------| G|-------------------------15-17-18----------------| D|-------------------16-18-------------------------| A|-------15-16-18-19-------------------------------| E|-16-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-21-| B|-------------------------------------19-21----------| G|-------------------------17-18-20-21----------------| D|-------------------18-20----------------------------| A|----------18-19-21----------------------------------| E|-18-20-21-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Altered on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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 | C |
| ♭9 | Db |
| ♯9 | D# |
| 3 | E |
| ♭5 | Gb |
| ♯5 | G# |
| ♭7 | Bb |
Chords in C Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Cdim | Cm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Dbm | Dbm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | D#m | D#m7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | Eaug | Emaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Gb | Gb7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | G# | G#7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Bbdim | Bbm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C 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 C Altered Scale?
- The C Altered Scale has 7 notes: C, Db, D#, E, Gb, G#, Bb.
- What chords are in the C Altered Scale?
- The chords of C Altered are Cdim (i°), Dbm (♭ii), D#m (♯iii), Eaug (IV+), Gb (♭V), G# (♯VI), Bbdim (♭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 C Altered on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.