STRINGSCALES

E♭ altered dominant double b3 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: Fb, Gbb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

A string: Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, Gbb, Abb, Bbb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

D string: Eb, Fb, Gbb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11

G string: Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, Gbb, Abb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12

B string: Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, Gbb, Abb, Bbb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

High E string: Fb, Gbb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

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Eb altered dominant double b3

The altered dominant double b3 scale, the seventh mode of the neapolitan major scale, is the altered scale pushed one notch further: the sharp 9 is flattened again to a double-flat 3rd. Every degree from 2 to 7 is lowered, some twice. It is about as much tension as seven notes can carry, for altered dominants at the outer edge of jazz harmony.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

E♭

I

G𝄫7no5/Eb
F♭

bii

F♭m
G𝄫

bbIII+

G𝄫aug
A𝄫

bIV+

A𝄫aug
B𝄫

bV

B𝄫maj
C♭

bVI

C♭majb5
D♭

bvii°

D♭dim

Same notes, different mode

Eb altered dominant double b3 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.

Fb neapolitan majorF leading whole toneG lydian augmented dominantA lydian dominant b6Cb major locrianDb half-diminished b4

altered dominant double b3 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Every degree above the root is lowered, some twice: use Eb altered dominant double b3 (Gb) for one bar of maximum dominant tension, then resolve.
  • The double-flat 3rd (F) is enharmonically the 9th of the chord a half step down; voice-lead it there and the wildness turns logical.
  • Anchor on the tritone between the root and b5 (A); it is the only interval here the ear can hold onto.
  • As the seventh mode of neapolitan major, it shares its pitch set with the neapolitan major a half step above Eb.

How to play E♭ altered dominant double b3 on guitar

Only one open string falls outside this key, the E pair landing on the minor second while open B takes the minor sixth, so open voicings stay usable despite 7 flats. D string carries a root at fret 1, which lets low phrases begin without climbing. Capo 1 and the key is D fingering. Db half-diminished b4 wants this exact shape, so the fingering pays twice. Shape one runs to fret 15.

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