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