Guitar scale · super Locrian
D Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
D 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|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------11-13-------------| G|----------------------------10-11-13-------------------| D|-------------------10-12-13----------------------------| A|-------------11-13-------------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|----------------------------------13-15-16----------| G|----------------------------13-15-------------------| D|----------------12-13-15-16-------------------------| A|----------13-15-------------------------------------| E|-13-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-18-| B|----------------------------------15-16-18----------| G|----------------------------15-17-------------------| D|-------------------15-16-18-------------------------| A|----------15-17-18----------------------------------| E|-14-16-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-| B|----------------------------------18-19-21-------| G|-------------------------17-19-20----------------| D|-------------------18-20-------------------------| A|-------17-18-20-21-------------------------------| E|-18-20-------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------20-22-| B|----------------------------19-21-------| G|-------------------19-20-22-------------| D|-------------20-22----------------------| A|-------20-21----------------------------| E|-20-22----------------------------------|
How to play D Altered on guitar
Find the root first: D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every D 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 10–14. 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 | D |
| ♭9 | Eb |
| ♯9 | E# |
| 3 | F# |
| ♭5 | Ab |
| ♯5 | A# |
| ♭7 | C |
Chords in D Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in D Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Ebm | Ebm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | E#m | E#m7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | F#aug | F#maj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Ab | Ab7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | A# | A#7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Cdim | Cm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise D 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 D Altered Scale?
- The D Altered Scale has 7 notes: D, Eb, E#, F#, Ab, A#, C.
- What chords are in the D Altered Scale?
- The chords of D Altered are Ddim (i°), Ebm (♭ii), E#m (♯iii), F#aug (IV+), Ab (♭V), A# (♯VI), Cdim (♭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 D Altered on the guitar?
- The root D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 10–14, and four more positions connect it up the neck.