B Altered Guitar Scale

6-string guitar  ·  Mode VII mel.  ·  7 notes  ·  minor family

Notes

B
C
D
D♯
F
G
A

Solfège : Si – Do – Ré – Ré♯ – Fa – Sol – La

Interval Structure

B ½T C T D ½T D♯ T F T G T A B+oct. T

Scale Chords (triads)

DegreeChord (in B)Quality
diminished
ii Cm minor
iii Dm minor
IV+ D♯+ augmented
V F Major
VI G Major
vii° 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 B Altered on guitar in the interactive app.

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Same scale in other keys