E♯ 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 E♯, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where E♯ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | E♯ F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 2A · 3M · 4A · 6m · 7m |
| Step pattern | H W H W W W W |
| Chords in the key | E♯°F♯mG♯mA+BC♯D♯° |
Chords in the E♯ Altered scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
E♯ Altered on the piano
Improvisation drone · E♯
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano E♯ Altered uses four black keys (F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯) and three white. E♯ is the white key you'd normally call F.
E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C♯ · D♯
Play E♯ Altered on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯ Altered on the guitar
E♯ Altered - fr 0–12
E♯ Altered on the staff
Notes of the E♯ Altered scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♯ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | F♯ | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | G♯ | augmented 2nd2A | 3 | |
| 4 | A | major 3rd3M | 4 | |
| 5 | B | augmented 4th4A | 6 | |
| 6 | C♯ | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | D♯ | minor 7th7m | 10 |
What makes E♯ 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 E♯, E♯ Altered has A where E♯ Locrian has A♯; every other note is shared with E♯ Locrian (E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯).
How to use the E♯ Altered scale
The diatonic chords of E♯ Altered are: i° = E♯°, ii = F♯m, iii = G♯m, IV+ = A+, V = B, VI = C♯, vii° = D♯°. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in E♯ 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 E♯ 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 E♯ Altered
Start with the music described above: listen for E♯ 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 E♯ Altered scale?
The E♯ Altered scale contains E♯, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯ and D♯.
What is the formula for the E♯ Altered scale?
E♯ Altered follows the seventh mode of melodic minor — root, ♭9, ♯9, 3, ♯11, ♭13, ♭7, packing every common dominant alteration into one scale.
Is E♯ Altered a major or minor scale?
E♯ 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 E♯ Altered scale?
The diatonic chords of E♯ Altered are E♯°, F♯m, G♯m, A+, B, C♯, D♯°.
Which genres use E♯ 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 E♯ Altered scale on the piano?
On the piano E♯ Altered uses four black keys (F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯) and three white. E♯ is the white key you'd normally call F.
What is the difference between E♯ Altered and E♯ Locrian?
On E♯, E♯ Altered has A where E♯ Locrian has A♯; every other note is shared with E♯ Locrian (E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯).
How do I practise the E♯ 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.