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|-----------------------------2-3-5-6-| B|-------------------------3-5---------| G|-------------------2-3-5-------------| D|-------------2-4-5-------------------| A|---------3-5-------------------------| E|-2-3-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-| B|-----------------------5-7-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-------------| D|-----------4-5-7-8-----------------| A|-------5-7-------------------------| E|-5-6-8-----------------------------|
e|---------------------------------6-8-10-| B|--------------------------7-8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9---------------| D|---------------7-8-10-------------------| A|--------7-9-10--------------------------| E|-6-8-10---------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-| B|--------------------------------10-11-13-------| G|------------------------9-11-12----------------| D|------------------10-12------------------------| A|-------9-10-12-13------------------------------| E|-10-12-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|-------------------------11-12-14-15----------------| D|-------------------12-14----------------------------| A|----------12-13-15----------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Altered on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 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 2–6. 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 | G |
| ♯9 | A |
| 3 | A# |
| ♭5 | C |
| ♯5 | D |
| ♭7 | E |
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° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Tonic |
| ♭ii | Gm | Gm(maj7) | Supertonic |
| ♯iii | Am | Am7 | Mediant |
| IV+ | A#aug | A#maj7#5 | Subdominant |
| ♭V | C | C7 | Dominant |
| ♯VI | D | D7 | Submediant |
| ♭vii° | Edim | Em7b5 | 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#, G, A, A#, C, D, E.
- What chords are in the F# Altered Scale?
- The chords of F# Altered are F#dim (i°), Gm (♭ii), Am (♯iii), A#aug (IV+), C (♭V), D (♯VI), Edim (♭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 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.