STRINGSCALES

A♭ altered Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: Fb, Gb, Ab, Bbb, B, C, D, Fb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

A string: Bbb, B, C, D, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bbb at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

D string: D, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bbb, B, C, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

G string: Ab, Bbb, B, C, D, Fb, Gb at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11

B string: B, C, D, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bbb, B at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

High E string: Fb, Gb, Ab, Bbb, B, C, D, Fb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

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Ab altered

The altered scale, also called super locrian, is the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale a half step up, and jazz's default over altered dominant chords. It contains the flat 9, sharp 9, sharp 11 and flat 13: every standard alteration and no plain tensions. Play it over a V7alt chord and resolve into the I; the wrongness is the point until the landing.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A♭

i°

A♭dim
B𝄫

bii

B𝄫m
B

#ii

Bm
C

III+

Caug
D

#IV

Dmaj
F♭

bVI

F♭maj
G♭

bvii°

G♭dim

Characteristic notes: A (b9) and E (b13), every tension flattened, the go-to scale over altered dominant chords.

Same notes, different mode

Ab altered uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

A melodic minorB dorian b2C lydian augmentedD lydian dominantFb mixolydian b6Gb locrian #2

altered in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Use Ab altered over a V7alt chord only, then resolve: the b2 (A), #2 (B), b5 (D) and b6 (E) are the b9, #9, #11 and b13 of the chord.
  • Think melodic minor a half step above Ab: same notes, so your melodic minor fingerings already play this scale.
  • Land on the 3rd (C) or flat 7th (Gb) on strong beats; they are the only stable tones, and they keep the chaos intelligible.
  • Practice resolving each altered tension by half step into the I chord's nearest chord tone; that voice leading is the whole point.

How to play A♭ altered on guitar

Root access starts at fret 1 on the G string, so you can reach this key without leaving open position. With a capo at fret 1, every G fingering you own plays Ab altered, letting you read it as G instead of four flats. Five open strings carry scale tones here, including D at the sharp fourth, which means open-string fills survive the flat-heavy spelling. Roots at fret 4 on the two E strings mark the E-shape barre. A melodic minor mirrors the pattern a semitone above.

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