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