Guitar scale · super Locrian
E Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
E 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|-----------------------------0-1-3-4-| B|-------------------------1-3---------| G|-------------------0-1-3-------------| D|-------------0-2-3-------------------| A|---------1-3-------------------------| E|-0-1-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-4-6-| B|-----------------------3-5-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-------------| D|-----------2-3-5-6-----------------| A|-------3-5-------------------------| E|-3-4-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-6-8-| B|-----------------------5-6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-------------| D|-------------5-6-8-----------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-4-6-8-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------8-10-| B|----------------------------8-9-11------| G|---------------------7-9-10-------------| D|----------------8-10--------------------| A|------7-8-10-11-------------------------| E|-8-10-----------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|------------------------------------11-13----------| G|-------------------------9-10-12-13----------------| D|-------------------10-12---------------------------| A|----------10-11-13---------------------------------| E|-10-12-13------------------------------------------|
How to play E Altered on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 | E |
| ♭9 | F |
| ♯9 | G |
| 3 | G# |
| ♭5 | Bb |
| ♯5 | B# |
| ♭7 | D |
Chords in E Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Edim | Em7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Fm | Fm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | Gm | Gm7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | G#aug | G#maj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Bb | Bb7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | B# | B#7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise E 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 E Altered Scale?
- The E Altered Scale has 7 notes: E, F, G, G#, Bb, B#, D.
- What chords are in the E Altered Scale?
- The chords of E Altered are Edim (i°), Fm (♭ii), Gm (♯iii), G#aug (IV+), Bb (♭V), B# (♯VI), Ddim (♭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 E Altered on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.