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𝄫mC♭mD𝄫+E𝄫F♭G♭° |
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 two black keys (A♭ and G♭) and five white. B𝄫, C♭, D𝄫, E𝄫 and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call A, B, C, D and E.
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 = C♭m, 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, C♭m, 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 two black keys (A♭ and G♭) and five white. B𝄫, C♭, D𝄫, E𝄫 and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call A, B, C, D and E.
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.