The Altered Scale, Super Locrian, Locrian b4, Diminished Whole Tone | Guitar Lesson with Diagrams, Scale charts, Theory and Licks

What's The Altered Scale?

The Altered Scale, sometimes referred to as Super Locrian mode, Locrian b4 or Diminished Whole-tone, is the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale.

The formula is 1 (root) - b2 (minor second) - b3 (minor third)  - b4 (diminished fourth) - b5 (diminished fifth) - b6 (minor sixth) and b7 (minor seventh). When played over dominant 7 chords it highlights altered notes (hence its name) as b9, #9, b5, #11 and b13.

Melodic Minor Scale And Altered Dominant 7 Chords /// Short Video With Free PDF

Altered Scale Formula

The Altered Scale is sometimes used to solo over Dominant chords to create tension in jazz lines indeed, it contains one altered fifth (b5), two altered ninth (b9 and #9) and one altered thirteenth (b13).

G altered scale G Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F
Formula 1 b2 (b9) b3 (#9) b4 (3) b5 (#11) b6 (b13) b7
Intervals H W H W W W W

How To Play The Altered Scale On Guitar?

There are many ways to play the altered scale on a guitar. However, here are some suggested patterns. Remember that you have to learn and transpose them in all twelve keys by moving the tonic to the desired note keeping the same intervals.

Altered scale guitar shapes
Altered scale guitar charts
Altered scale guitar diagrams

Comparison With Dominant Diminished Scale

The altered scale have some common points with the half-whole diminished scale (aka dominant diminished scale). The formula for the dominant diminished scale is 1 - b9 -#9 - 3 - b5 - 5 - 13 - b7 whereas the altered scale formula is 1- b9 - #9 - 3 - b5 - b13 and b7. The half-whole diminished scale is an octatonic scale meaning that it is built of 8 notes. The altered scale contains 7 notes.

Half-Whole Diminished 1 b9 #9 3 b5 5 13 b7
Altered Scale 1 b9 #9 3 b5 x b13 b7
Altered scale and half whole diminished

Altered Scale Against Dominant Chords

The altered scale is so-called because it contains all four common altered notes generally used to add tension when soloing over a dominant chord. These four notes altered notes are b9 - #9 - b13 - b5. 

G altered scale G Ab Bb B Db Eb F
Formula 1 b9 #9 3 b5 b13 b7
G Dominant chord  G   B   D   F
Formula R   3   5   b7

 

Related Altered Chords 

Altered chords are generally simplified and written "ALT", for example G7b5 or G7b13 can be written G7alt. There are many possible combinations of altered chords because it's very difficult to play all of those altered notes in a same chord at the same time. So, the choice is yours, you are free to add one or two extensions to your altered chord, which could give several options : 

  • G7b5
  • G7b9
  • G7#9
  • G7b13
  • G7b5
  • G7#5b9
  • G7b5#9
  • G7#9b13
  • and many more...

You need to know that the altered scale sounds good with other altered chords as 7#11 or 7#5, indeed the b5 can be considered as #11 and the b13 as #5.

Here are some guitar neck diagrams of altered chords that fit with the altered scale.

Altered chord voicings for guitar

Altered Lick Using a Minor Triad

In this example, we will apply a minor triad on G7alt to create a strong pull towards CMaj7. Playing a minor triad starting on the b9 of a dominant chord highlight some interesting altered notes as the b9, b13 and #9.

This means that in a II-V-I progression in C major you can play an Ab minor triad over G7alt. If you have carefully read the previous section of this lesson named "RELATIVE CHORDS" you will understand that you can play a G7b9 chord, or a G7b13, a G7#9 or even a G7b13#9.

Altered jazz guitar lick

Altered Lick Using The Dominant Pentatonic Scale

You are probably wondering what's the dominant pentatonic scale. It contains the four notes of a dominant chord namely root (1), major third (3), perfect fifth (5) and minor seventh (b7) with a supplementary note, the second (2) which can be seen as the ninth (9).

The dominant pentatonic scale is commonly used over dominant 7 chords starting on the root, but can be used as a tritone substitution, this is where it gets very interesting. Indeed, when playing a Mixolydian pentatonic scale starting on the b5 of a dominant chord you highlight three altered notes, the b5 (aka #11), b13 and b9.

The following example takes a major II-V-I progression in C major. You can notice the use of the Db7 dominant pentatonic scale over G7. This creates an interesting sound and a bit of tension.

G altered guitar lick tritone substitution

Guitar Methods

  • Guitar Scale Dictionary

    This E-book is a printable PDF method including over 700 scale diagrams and formula charts for guitarists.
  • 30 Groovy Jazz Guitar Licks

    This downloadable package contains a PDF WITH audio files giving access to 30 groovy guitar phrases mixing jazz, blues and funky licks for beginners.
  • Guitar Chord Dictionary

    This PDF eBook provides over 550 guitar chord shapes. This is the perfect reference guide to understand how chords are built and how to play them on the guitar neck.
  • 172 Arpeggio Shapes For Guitar

    This printable PDF is a method dedicated to guitarists of all styles who want to learn the most important types of arpeggios.
  • 126 Triad Chord Shapes

    This handbook for guitar players is intended both for teachers and students. It includes 126 guitar shapes for mastering triads.
  • 30 Minor Arpeggio Licks

    This package includes a printable PDF method containing 30 exercises with tabs, staves and audio files for practicing minor arpeggios on guitar.
  • II V I Bundle - 170 Exercises

    This bundle contains 4 PDF methods for a total of 170 exercises with tabs, staves, analysis & audio files for practicing scales, arpeggios licks & chords over the 2-5-1 progression.
  • Diatonic Licks Bundle

    This package contains 120 jazz guitar lines based on diatonic modes as Mixolydian, Dorian and Ionian. PDF format with tabs, audio files and analysis.
  • 30 Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks

    In this package you'll get a printable PDF Method with tabs, notation, analysis, scale shapes and audio files for practicing 30 smooth jazz guitar licks.
  • 40 II V I Jazz Guitar Licks

    This pdf method for guitar contains fourteen 2 5 1 jazz guitar lines with tab, standard notation, analysis, scale charts and audio files.
  • 50 II-V-I voicings

    This printable PDF guitar method provides 50 exercises with audio files, analysis, tab and staves for learning major 2-5-1 chord voicings.
  • 40 Minor 2 5 1 Chord Voicings

    This PDF method contains 40 exercices with tabs, scores and audio files for practicing jazz guitar chords over the minor 2 5 1 progression.
  • 40 Minor II V I Licks

    This guitar method is a printable PDF with tabs, diagrams, theory and audio files providing 40 minor 2 5 1 jazz patterns.
  • 40 Mixolydian Jazz Guitar Lick

    PDF guitar method with tabs, audio files and theory providing 40 dominant jazz guitar lines for teachers and students.
  • 40 Minor Jazz Guitar Licks

    This printable guitar method in PDF format contains 40 easy minor jazz guitar lines based on the Dorian mode.
  • 40 Major Jazz Guitar Licks

    Printable PDF eBook method containing 40 major jazz guitar licks with tab, standard notation and audio files for beginners and intermediates.
  • Guitar Walking Bass Lines

    This jazz guitar method about walking bass lines and chords is available as a PDF files containing 35 exercises with tabs, analysis and audio files
  • 101 Dominant Arpeggio Patterns

    This printable PDF method provides 101 dominant arpeggio exercises with tab, theory and standard notation for the jazz, blues and rock guitarist.
  • 49 Essential Jazz Lines

    This printable eBook method in PDF format provides 49 jazz solo transcriptions of the greatest jazz musicians. Tab, standard notation, audio files & analysis.
  • 11 Jazz Blues Studies

    11 jazz blues chord studies with tabs, standard notation, analysis, and audio recordings and PDF.
  • 10 Easy Fingerstyle Blues

    This PDF with Tabs and audio files provides 10 easy acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar studies for kids and beginners.
  • 25 Altered Jazz Guitar Lines

    This PDF eBook method contains 25 altered jazz guitar licks with tabs, patterns, scale charts and audio files to master, apply and develop the altered scale.
  • 40 Blues Dominant Patterns

    This printable method is available as a PDF file containing 40 easy dominant jazz-blues guitar lines with tabs, standard notation, analysis, audio files and scale charts.
  • Mastering Pentatonic Scales

    This jazz guitar method is an eBook available as a PDF with standard notation, guitar tabs, diagrams, analysis, audio files and backing tracks. You will find in this booklet 25 easy jazz guitar lines with theory using common and rare pentatonic scales.
  • 25 Soul Jazz Guitar Licks

    You will find here an eBook available in PDF containing 25 soul jazz and hard bop guitar licks in the style of Grant Green, Melvin Sparks, George Benson. These jazz lines come with tabs, standard notation, guitar neck diagrams, backing track for practice and 25 audio files for each riff.
  • 25 Diminished Patterns

    This eBook PDF with audio files contains 25 dominant diminished jazz guitar patterns using the half-whole diminished scale and diminished 7th arpeggios.
  • 6 Tritone substitution licks

    This Printable PDF eBook available for free download contains 6 easy jazz guitar licks with tabs/notation, youtube video link and analysis about the tritone substitution.
  • 10 Minor 7 Arpeggio Patterns

    This printable PDF eBook offers 10 easy minor 7 arpeggio patterns with its related YouTube video for beginner guitarists.
  • 10 Easy Major 7 Arpeggio Licks

    This is a printable PDF for beginner jazz guitar players providing 10 easy licks to practice major 7 arpeggios.
  • 10 Chord Melody Lines

    Within this package, you'll discover a set of ten chord melody exercises for beginners. Printable PDFaudio files, a backing track, and a link to the associated YouTube video.

Last edited: 2023-05-29

Comments

  • jonas bylund
    • 1. jonas bylund On 2016-01-09
    hi there
    • jazz-guitar-licks
      • jazz-guitar-licksOn 2016-01-10
      Hi !

Add a comment

 

WELCOME,

CLICK THE IMAGE TO GET YOUR FREE PDF

Free pdf guitar