fuaranScale Mastery
SCALE · ON GUITAR

A Altered

All four altered tensions — ♭9 ♯9 ♯11 ♭13 — over a dominant 7th. The 7th mode of melodic minor.

MEIMIDIHumdrum
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Tempo120 bpm

Playback sounds an octave below the written notation — the instrument's concert (sounding) pitch.

Audio source: tonejs-instruments by Nick Brosowsky (MIT)

Engraved by Verovio 6.2.0-43f8060 5 title A Altered Verovio
Tuning
FretboardTuning: DGDGBD
35791215DGDGBDE♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭F
Related scales
Diatonic chord harmonisation
Same scale, other instruments
Same scale, other tonics
Modes built on this tonic
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Theory reference
Questions
What notes are in the A Altered scale?

The A Altered scale uses the notes A, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G (one octave; the pattern repeats at higher registers).

What's the Altered scale formula?

The Altered scale follows the interval pattern H W H W W W W, where W = whole step (2 semitones) and H = half step (1 semitone). Apply that pattern starting on A to get the A Altered scale.

What chords work over A Altered?

Altered works over V7alt — ♭9, ♯9, ♯11, ♭13. The 7th mode of melodic minor; resolves down a half step to the I chord.

How do I finger A Altered on Guitar?

On guitar, scales are typically learned as position patterns — three- or four-notes-per-string shapes that move up the neck. The CAGED system positions each scale in five interconnected patterns; the three-notes-per-string approach simplifies modal scales.

When would I use the Altered scale?

All four altered tensions — ♭9 ♯9 ♯11 ♭13 — over a dominant 7th. The 7th mode of melodic minor.