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MusicTheoryGym

Scale · 7 notes

E Altered Scale

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

CDEFGA♭B♭

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215EFGA♭B♭CDEFGB♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFG

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

Notes in the E Altered scale

DegreeNoteName
1ETonic
♭2FSupertonic
♭3GMediant
♭4A♭Subdominant
♭5B♭Dominant
♭6CSubmediant
♭7DSubtonic

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

E 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 E Altered scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
i°E°Eø7
iiFmFm(maj7)
iiiGmGm7
IV+A♭+A♭7♯5
VB♭B♭7
VICC7
vii°D°Dø7

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

How to practise the E 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 E Altered scale?

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

What is the formula for the E 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 E Altered scale?

Built from the scale in triads: E°, Fm, Gm, A♭+, B♭, C, D°.

More E scales

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