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