Skip to content
MusicTheoryGym

Scale · 7 notes

A Altered Scale

A Altered is a 7-note scale with the notes A B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G. It sounds the seventh mode of melodic minor: every colour note of a dominant chord is altered, the sound of 7alt chords.

CFGAD♭E♭B♭

Purple = A (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every A altered note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CE♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FGAB♭CD♭FGAB♭CD♭E♭FG

Blue = A (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the A Altered scale

DegreeNoteName
1ATonic
♭2B♭Supertonic
♭3CMediant
♭4D♭Subdominant
♭5E♭Dominant
♭6FSubmediant
♭7GSubtonic

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: A B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G.

A Altered scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is H – W – H – W – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.

Chords in the A Altered scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
i°A°Aø7
iiB♭mB♭m(maj7)
iiiCmCm7
IV+D♭+D♭7♯5
VE♭E♭7
VIFF7
vii°G°Gø7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

How to practise the A Altered scale

Learn it as a rotation of a scale you already know (lydian dominant is melodic minor starting on its 4th note, altered starts on its 7th) and play it over the matching chord with a drone on the root.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the A Altered scale?

The notes of the A Altered scale are A B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G.

What is the formula for the A Altered scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is H – W – H – W – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.

What chords are in the A Altered scale?

Built from the scale in triads: A°, B♭m, Cm, D♭+, E♭, F, G°.

More A scales

A Major, A Natural Minor, A Harmonic Minor, A Melodic Minor, A Dorian, A Phrygian, A Lydian, A Mixolydian, A Locrian, A Major Pentatonic, A Minor Pentatonic, A Blues, A Lydian Dominant, A Whole Tone, A Dorian ♭2, A Lydian Augmented, A Mixolydian ♭6, A Locrian ♯2, A Phrygian Dominant, A Hungarian Minor, A Double Harmonic, A Diminished (W–H), A Diminished (H–W), A Bebop Dominant, A Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.