STRINGSCALES

E altered Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, F##, G#, A#, C, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

A string: A#, C, D, E, F, F##, G# at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

D string: D, E, F, F##, G#, A#, C, D at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

G string: F##, G#, A#, C, D, E, F, F## at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

B string: C, D, E, F, F##, G#, A# at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

High E string: E, F, F##, G#, A#, C, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

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E 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:

E

i°

Edim
F

bii

Fm
F𝄪

#ii

F𝄪m
G♯

III+

G♯aug
A♯

#IV

A♯maj
C

bVI

Cmaj
D

bvii°

Ddim

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

Same notes, different mode

E 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.

F melodic minorG dorian b2G# lydian augmentedA# lydian dominantC mixolydian b6D locrian #2

altered in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Use E altered over a V7alt chord only, then resolve: the b2 (F), #2 (G), b5 (Bb) and b6 (C) are the b9, #9, #11 and b13 of the chord.
  • Think melodic minor a half step above E: same notes, so your melodic minor fingerings already play this scale.
  • Land on the 3rd (G#) or flat 7th (D) 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 E altered on guitar

Both E strings ring the root open, so the whole key can hang off a drone on either outer string. Open D adds the minor seventh, which means a two-string open pedal exists before you fret a single note. First shape ends early, at fret 4, and roots reappear at fret 7 on the A string then fret 9 on the G string. F melodic minor owns the identical fret map from one fret higher, letting melodic minor vocabulary drop straight onto this key. E-shape barre re-anchors at fret 12.

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