A Altered Guitar Scale
6-string guitar · Mode VII mel. · 7 notes · minor family
Notes
A
B♭
C
C♯
E♭
F
G
Solfège : La – Si♭ – Do – Do♯ – Mi♭ – Fa – Sol
Interval Structure
A
½T
B♭
T
C
½T
C♯
T
E♭
T
F
T
G
→
A+oct.
T
Scale Chords (triads)
| Degree | Chord (in A) | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| i° | A° | diminished |
| ii | B♭m | minor |
| iii | Cm | minor |
| IV+ | C♯+ | augmented |
| V | E♭ | Major |
| VI | F | Major |
| vii° | G° | diminished |
About this scale
The altered scale (superlocrian) contains all altered tensions: b9, #9, b5, #5. On guitar, it is the scale for the most expressive V7alt→i resolutions in jazz. John Scofield, Pat Metheny, and Mike Stern use it over altered dominants to create maximum tension before resolution in minor.
See fretboard positions for A Altered on guitar in the interactive app.
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