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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.

E♯ABC♯D♯F♯G♯

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.

EADGBe135791215E♯F♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♯F♯ABC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯ABD♯E♯F♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯ABC♯E♯F♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♯F♯

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

Notes in the E♯ Altered scale

DegreeNoteName
1E♯Tonic
♭2F♯Supertonic
♭3G♯Mediant
♭4ASubdominant
♭5BDominant
♭6C♯Submediant
♭7D♯Subtonic

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♯°E♯ø7
iiF♯mF♯m(maj7)
iiiG♯mG♯m7
IV+A+A7♯5
VBB7
VIC♯C♯7
vii°D♯°D♯ø7

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♯°, F♯m, G♯m, A+, B, C♯, D♯°.

More E♯ scales

E♯ Phrygian, E♯ Locrian, E♯ Minor Pentatonic, E♯ Blues

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.