Guitar scale · super Locrian
F Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
F 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|-----------------------------1-2-4-5-| B|-------------------------2-4---------| G|-------------------1-2-4-------------| D|-------------1-3-4-------------------| A|---------2-4-------------------------| E|-1-2-4-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-5-7-| B|-----------------------4-6-7-------| G|-------------------4-6-------------| D|-----------3-4-6-7-----------------| A|-------4-6-------------------------| E|-4-5-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-9-| B|-----------------------6-7-9-------| G|-------------------6-8-------------| D|-------------6-7-9-----------------| A|-------6-8-9-----------------------| E|-5-7-9-----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------9-11-| B|-----------------------------9-10-12------| G|---------------------8-10-11--------------| D|----------------9-11----------------------| A|------8-9-11-12---------------------------| E|-9-11-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-14----------| G|-------------------------10-11-13-14----------------| D|-------------------11-13----------------------------| A|----------11-12-14----------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
How to play F Altered on guitar
Find the root first: F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F 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 1–5. 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 | F |
| ♭9 | Gb |
| ♯9 | G# |
| 3 | A |
| ♭5 | Cb |
| ♯5 | C# |
| ♭7 | Eb |
Chords in F Altered
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F Altered; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Fdim | Fm7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Gbm | Gbm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | G#m | G#m7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | Aaug | Amaj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | Cb | Cb7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | C# | C#7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Ebdim | Ebm7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F 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 F Altered Scale?
- The F Altered Scale has 7 notes: F, Gb, G#, A, Cb, C#, Eb.
- What chords are in the F Altered Scale?
- The chords of F Altered are Fdim (i°), Gbm (♭ii), G#m (♯iii), Aaug (IV+), Cb (♭V), C# (♯VI), Ebdim (♭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 F Altered on the guitar?
- The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 1–5, and four more positions connect it up the neck.