The Altered Scale For Jazz Guitar

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April 20, 2018

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.

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.

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What You Will Learn in This Guitar Scale Lesson

1. What is the Altered Scale?
2. Altered Scale vs Diminished Scale
3. Altered Scale Fingerings
4. Altered Scale Licks
Altered Scale Lick 1
Altered Scale Lick 2
Altered Scale Lick 3
5. Altered ii V I Licks
ii V I Altered Scale Lick 1
ii V I Altered Scale Lick 2
ii V I Altered Scale Lick 3
6. Altered Scale Solo Over C Minor Blues
7. More Guitar Scale Lessons

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What Is The Altered Scale?

The first item on our checklist of altered scale studies is digging into the construction of
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this commonly used melodic device.

The altered scale is the 7th mode of the melodic minor scale, 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, both in major and minor keys.

The altered scale contains all four of the common altered notes (b9-#9-b5-b13), which are
used to create tension over the underlying chord when applying this scale to a soloing
situation.

Here is a reference chart that lays out the notes and intervals for the G altered scale in
comparison to the G Mixolydian scale.

Because there are two 9th intervals in the altered scale (b9 and #9), the chart below uses
the upper extensions to indicate the notes above the octave, 9-11-13, and their
alterations. To make things easier to read and compare, the Cb note from G altered is
written as B in this case.

G mixolydian scale G A B C D E F

1 9 3 11 5 13 b7

G altered scale G Ab Bb B Db Eb F

1 b9 #9 3 b5 b13 b7

Altered Scale vs Diminished Scale

The altered scale has a lot of similarities with the half-whole diminished scale:

G Diminished Scale 1 b9 #9 3 b5 5 13 b7

G Altered Scale 1 b9 #9 3 b5 b13 b7

As you can see in the table above, both scales have a lot of similar notes. Thedifference
between the two is:

The diminished scale has eight notes (octatonic), while the altered scale has 7 notes.
The diminished scale has a 5 and 13, while the altered scale has a b13.

These two scales are also used for different purposes:

The altered scale is used to improvise over altered dominant chords (G7#9b13 for
example).
The half-whole diminished scale is used to play over G13b9 chords.

Altered Scale Fingerings

After studying the theory behind the altered scale, you are now ready to learn a few
fingerings in various positions of the fingerboard.
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To begin, here is an in-position G altered scale:

Listen & Play Along:

You can also learn a shifting position for this scale as you take asliding up the neck
approach to playing the G altered scale:

Listen & Play Along:

You can also practice the altered scale starting from the 5th string root note, which you
can see here as an in-position fingering from a G root note:

Listen & Play Along:

Here is a 5th-string root G altered scale that uses a shift at the second octave in order to
slide up to the second half of the scale:

Listen & Play Along:

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Altered Scale Licks

With some or all of these altered scale fingerings under your belt, you’re ready to move on
to studying common altered scale vocabulary, beginning with short phrases that are
played only over the 7alt chord itself.

Start by learning these short phrases, and integrating them into your soloing lines over
backing tracks, before moving on to the longer ii-V-I phrases in the next section of the
lesson.

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Altered Scale Lick 1

To begin, here is a classic lick that is found in the playing of Wes Montgomery, Pat
Martino, and other legendary players.

Notice the use of the AbmMaj7 arpeggio (G-Eb-B-Ab) in the second half of the phrase:

Abm/maj7 Arpeggio Ab Cb Eb G

Played over G7 b9 3 b13 1

Listen & Play Along:

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Altered Scale Lick 2

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Here is a commonly used altered scale technique, where you use the major triads from the
b5 and b13 of the underlying scale (in this case Db and Eb over G7alt), to outline that 7alt
chord in your lines:

Db Triad Db F Ab

Played over G7 b5 b7 b9

Eb Triad Eb G Bb

Played over G7 b13 1 #9

Listen & Play Along:

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Altered Scale Lick 3

The final short altered phrase you’ll learn is called the “Cry Me a River Lick”, as it comes
from a melody fragment found in this classic jazz standard.

Listen & Play Along:

When you have these three sample phrases under your fingers, try experimenting with the
altered scale and coming up with three or more patterns of your own that you can use in
your jazz guitar soloing lines and phrases.

Altered Scale ii-V-I Licks

Here are three ii-V-I licks that use the altered scale over the V7 chord in each progression.

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Try putting on a backing track, such as a minor blues or a tune like Solar, and practice
adding these licks into your soloing lines in a musical situation.

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ii V I Altered Scale Lick 1

To begin, here is a short ii-V-I lick in the key of C minor that uses the G altered scale to
outline the V7 chord in the second half of bar one in the phrase.

Listen & Play Along:

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ii V I Altered Scale Lick 2

We’ll now move on to using the G altered scale to outline the V7 chord in a longer ii-V-I
phrase in the key of C major.

Listen & Play Along:

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ii V I Altered Scale Lick 3

This last lick uses the G altered scale over the V7 chord in a longer ii-V-I phase in the key
of C major.

The altered scale is a great device for creating tension over the V7 chord in a major key,
but just be careful that you resolve that tension either over the same V7 chord, or in the
Imaj7 chord that follows so you don’t leave those tense notes hanging in your lines.

Listen & Play Along:

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Altered Scale Solo Over C Minor Blues
Now that you know how to play the altered scale in four positions on the fretboard, as well
as have studied classic altered vocabulary, you can take those ideas to a sample solo.

Here is a 12-bar solo written out over a C minor blues progression, with the altered scale
being used to outline the chords in bars 4, 10, and 12.

Once you have learned this solo as written, try putting on a backing track and play this solo
once, followed by an improvised solo in the second chorus, alternating back and forth as
you begin to integrate these ideas into your improvisational repertoire.

Listen & Play Along:

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Do you have questions about the altered scale? Let us know in the comments below…

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More Guitar Scale Lessons

1. Jazz Guitar Modes
2. 7 Essential Jazz Guitar Scales for Beginners
3. The Minor Blues Scale
4. The Major Blues Scale
5. The Bebop Scale
6. The Harmonic Minor Scale
7. The Melodic Minor Scale
8. The Whole-Half Diminished Scale
9. The Whole Tone Scale
10. Exotic Guitar Scales

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The Altered Scale For Jazz Guitar was last modified: May 17th, 2018 by Matt Warnock

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