B♭ 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 B♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where B♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | B♭ C♭ D♭ E𝄫 F♭ G♭ A♭ |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 2A · 3M · 4A · 6m · 7m |
| Step pattern | H W H W W W W |
| Chords in the key | B♭°C♭mD♭mE𝄫+F♭G♭A♭° |
Chords in the B♭ Altered scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
B♭ Altered on the piano
Improvisation drone · B♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano B♭ Altered uses four black keys (B♭, D♭, G♭ and A♭) and three white. C♭, E𝄫 and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call B, D and E.
B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E𝄫 · F♭ · G♭ · A♭
Play B♭ Altered on the online piano
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B♭ Altered on the guitar
B♭ Altered - fr 0–12
B♭ Altered on the staff
Notes of the B♭ Altered scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | C♭ | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | D♭ | augmented 2nd2A | 3 | |
| 4 | E𝄫 | major 3rd3M | 4 | |
| 5 | F♭ | augmented 4th4A | 6 | |
| 6 | G♭ | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | A♭ | minor 7th7m | 10 |
What makes B♭ 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 B♭, B♭ Altered has E𝄫 where B♭ Locrian has E♭; every other note is shared with B♭ Locrian (B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭).
How to use the B♭ Altered scale
The diatonic chords of B♭ Altered are: i° = B♭°, ii = C♭m, iii = D♭m, IV+ = E𝄫+, V = F♭, VI = G♭, vii° = A♭°. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in B♭ 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 B♭ 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 B♭ Altered
Start with the music described above: listen for B♭ 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 B♭ Altered scale?
The B♭ Altered scale contains B♭, C♭, D♭, E𝄫, F♭, G♭ and A♭.
What is the formula for the B♭ Altered scale?
B♭ Altered follows the seventh mode of melodic minor — root, ♭9, ♯9, 3, ♯11, ♭13, ♭7, packing every common dominant alteration into one scale.
Is B♭ Altered a major or minor scale?
B♭ 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 B♭ Altered scale?
The diatonic chords of B♭ Altered are B♭°, C♭m, D♭m, E𝄫+, F♭, G♭, A♭°.
Which genres use B♭ 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 B♭ Altered scale on the piano?
On the piano B♭ Altered uses four black keys (B♭, D♭, G♭ and A♭) and three white. C♭, E𝄫 and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call B, D and E.
What is the difference between B♭ Altered and B♭ Locrian?
On B♭, B♭ Altered has E𝄫 where B♭ Locrian has E♭; every other note is shared with B♭ Locrian (B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭).
How do I practise the B♭ 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.