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♯°GmAmB♭+CDE° |
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 two black keys (F♯ and B♭) and five white.
F♯ · G · A · B♭ · C · D · E
Try F♯ Altered on the virtual 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 = Gm, iii = Am, 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♯°, Gm, Am, 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 two black keys (F♯ and B♭) and five white.
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.