A Altered at a glance
The Altered scale is the go-to choice over a V7alt chord in jazz. Every note that can be altered on a dominant is altered, making it the most tense and most resolution-hungry scale in the modal canon. Built on the root A, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where A is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | A B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 2A · 3M · 4A · 6m · 7m |
| Step pattern | H W H W W W W |
| Chords in the key | A°B♭mCmD♭+E♭FG° |
Chords in the A Altered scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
A Altered on the piano
Improvisation drone · A
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano A Altered uses three black keys (B♭, D♭ and E♭) and four white.
A · B♭ · C · D♭ · E♭ · F · G
Try A Altered on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
A Altered on the guitar
A Altered - fr 0–12
A Altered on the staff
Notes of the A Altered scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | B♭ | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | C | augmented 2nd2A | 3 | |
| 4 | D♭ | major 3rd3M | 4 | |
| 5 | E♭ | augmented 4th4A | 6 | |
| 6 | F | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | G | minor 7th7m | 10 |
What makes A Altered different
The Altered scale is the seventh mode of melodic minor, also called super-Locrian. It's Locrian with a lowered fourth, and that note works as a major third, so the scale holds the 3 and ♭7 of a dominant chord plus every altered tension: ♭9, ♯9, ♯11 and ♭13. It has no natural fifth, and its ♭13 in place of a natural 13th is what separates it from the half-whole diminished scale over the same chord. It shares its notes with the melodic minor scale a half step above its root. On A, A Altered has D♭ where A Locrian has D; every other note is shared with A Locrian (A B♭ C D E♭ F G).
How to use the A Altered scale
The diatonic chords of A Altered are: i° = A°, ii = B♭m, iii = Cm, IV+ = D♭+, V = E♭, VI = F, vii° = G°. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in A Altered. Each one in the chord table on this page opens its own diagram and progressions.
The Altered scale is the go-to choice over a V7alt chord in jazz. Every note that can be altered on a dominant is altered, making it the most tense and most resolution-hungry scale in the modal canon.
Practice tips
Practise the altered scale exclusively over altered V7 chords. Resolve every altered tone (♭9 → root, ♯9 → ♭3 of the I chord) to feel why this scale is built for tension and release.
Formula & step pattern
The A Altered scale follows the seventh mode of melodic minor — root, ♭9, ♯9, 3, ♯11, ♭13, ♭7, packing every common dominant alteration into one scale. Step pattern: H - W - H - W - W - W - W. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2m · 2A · 3M · 4A · 6m · 7m. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear A Altered
Start with the music described above: listen for A Altered in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the A Altered scale?
The A Altered scale contains A, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G.
What is the formula for the A Altered scale?
A Altered follows the seventh mode of melodic minor — root, ♭9, ♯9, 3, ♯11, ♭13, ♭7, packing every common dominant alteration into one scale.
Is A Altered a major or minor scale?
A Altered is a altered scale. Seventh mode of melodic minor (super-Locrian) — every available alteration on a dominant: ♭9, ♯9, ♯11, ♭13.
What chords belong to the A Altered scale?
The diatonic chords of A Altered are A°, B♭m, Cm, D♭+, E♭, F, G°.
Which genres use A Altered?
The Altered scale is the go-to choice over a V7alt chord in jazz. Every note that can be altered on a dominant is altered, making it the most tense and most resolution-hungry scale in the modal canon.
How do you play the A Altered scale on the piano?
On the piano A Altered uses three black keys (B♭, D♭ and E♭) and four white.
What is the difference between A Altered and A Locrian?
On A, A Altered has D♭ where A Locrian has D; every other note is shared with A Locrian (A B♭ C D E♭ F G).
How do I practise the A Altered scale?
Practise the altered scale exclusively over altered V7 chords. Resolve every altered tone (♭9 → root, ♯9 → ♭3 of the I chord) to feel why this scale is built for tension and release.