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Scale · 7 notes

F♯ Altered Scale

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

CDEGAF♯B♭

Purple = F♯ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215EF♯GAB♭CDEF♯GAB♭CDEF♯GAB♭CDEF♯GAB♭CDEGAB♭CDEF♯GAB♭CDEF♯GAB♭CDEF♯GAB♭CDEF♯G

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

Notes in the F♯ Altered scale

DegreeNoteName
1F♯Tonic
♭2GSupertonic
♭3AMediant
♭4B♭Subdominant
♭5CDominant
♭6DSubmediant
♭7ESubtonic

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

F♯ 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 F♯ Altered scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
i°F♯°F♯ø7
iiGmGm(maj7)
iiiAmAm7
IV+B♭+B♭7♯5
VCC7
VIDD7
vii°E°Eø7

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

How to practise the F♯ 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 F♯ Altered scale?

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

What is the formula for the F♯ 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 F♯ Altered scale?

Built from the scale in triads: F♯°, Gm, Am, B♭+, C, D, E°.

More F♯ scales

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