When learning how to solo in jazz, one of the scales that comes up in our studies time and again is the altered scale, which is the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor Scale. While this scale comes up often when reading about jazz improvisation, it can seem like a bit of a mystery.<\/p>\n
To help demystify the altered scale in your playing, this lesson will explain how to build and apply the altered scale, as well as explore common scale fingerings and melodic phrases.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span>\n The first item on our checklist of altered scale studies<\/strong> is digging into the construction of this commonly used melodic device.<\/p>\n The altered scale is the 7th mode of the melodic minor scale<\/strong>, which means that it is like playing Ab melodic minor starting from the note G. The altered scale is used to solo over dominant 7th chords<\/strong>, both in major and minor keys.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The altered scale contains all four of the common altered notes (b9-#9-b5-b13<\/strong>), which are used to create tension over the underlying chord when applying this scale to a soloing situation.<\/p>\n Here is a reference chart that lays out the notes and intervals for the G altered scale in comparison to the G Mixolydian scale<\/a>.<\/p>\n Because there are two 9th intervals in the altered scale (b9 and #9), the chart below uses the upper extensions<\/strong> to indicate the notes above the octave, 9-11-13,\u00a0and their alterations. To make things easier to read and compare, the Cb note from G altered is written as B in this case.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhat You Will Learn in This Guitar Scale Lesson<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhat Is The Altered Scale?<\/h2>\n