Altered Scale Primer

www.mattwarnockguitar.com

When learning how to play jazz guitar, one of the scales and chords that will keep
popping up is the 7alt chord and its related Altered Scale.

While many of us might have heard of this scale before, or even learned a fingering for
it on the guitar, there are often gaps in our knowledge and application of this important
and fun to play jazz guitar melodic device.

In today’s lesson, we’ll be looking at how you can build an Altered Scale, how you can
play a few different fingerings for this scale on the guitar, how to apply it to your soloing
and technical practice routine, as well as check out 5 of my favorite Altered Scale licks
over common jazz chord progressions.

So, before we grab our guitars, let’s take a look at how an Altered Scale is built from an
intervallic and modal standpoint.

What is the Altered Scale?

The first thing we need to check out before learning how to play and apply the Altered
Scale, is how to construct this important and oft-used mode of Melodic Minor.

To build an Altered Scale, you can approach it in one of two ways. The first way is from
an intervallic standpoint.

Here, you would find the root of the scale you want to build, and then just find the
following intervals above that root to build your Altered Scale.

Root - b9 - #9 - 3 - b5 - #5 - b7 - R

So, if you started on the note B, as in the example written out below, you would find
you’re playing the following notes for a B Altered Scale.

B C D Eb F G A B

The second way that you can build an Altered Scale, is to think about it as the 7th mode
of the Melodic Minor Scale.
So, if you wanted to build a B Altered Scale, you could play a C Melodic Minor Scale
starting on the note B, producing the 7th mode of that scale, and thus building a B
Altered Scale in the process.

Here is a notated example of how the C Melodic Minor Scale can be used to build the B
Altered Scale.

No matter which way you decide to use to build your Altered Scales, from an intervallic
standpoint or by thinking of it as the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor Scale, the important
thing is that you learn how to play this scale on the guitar, and have an understanding of
how it is constructed and where you can use it in your jazz guitar solos.

Altered Scale Fingerings for Jazz Guitar

Now that you have learned how to build an Altered Scale, let’s take a look at two ways
that you can finger this scale on the guitar, one with a root on the 6th string and one with
a root on the 5th string.

There are many ways that you can finger the Altered Scale on the guitar, but here are
two of my favorites starting with this C7alt scale with a 6th string root.
And here is a 5th string root for that same C7alt scale, which has the same notes as the
Db Melodic Minor Scale if you are thinking about it that way.

To practice these scales, here are 10 exercises that I like to do when working on Altered
Scale fingerings on the guitar, or any scale for that matter, that will help get the sound of
this scale into your ears and the shapes of this scale under your fingers.

Altered Scale Exercises

1. Practice one fingering, 6th string root for example, in one key at various tempos on
the metronome. Repeat this for any other fingerings you are working on for this
scale.
2. Take the same fingerings in the first exercise and practice them in 12 keys at various
tempos on the metronome.
3. Play the above exercises while singing the root of the chord that you are on.
4. Play a C7alt chord voicing on the guitar and then sing the related C Altered Scale.
5. Repeat exercise 4 in all 12 keys, singing one octave if you can and two-octave
scales where possible.
6. Put on a C7alt backing track and improvise using one Altered Scale fingering, then
the other, then both together over that chord, at various tempos if possible.
7. Repeat exercise 6 in all 12 keys.
8. Sing the root to a C7alt chord and improvise over that note using the C Altered Scale
in various fingerings. Repeat this exercise in all 12 keys.
9. Play a C7alt chord and sing a solo over that chord using only the notes of the C
Altered Scale. Repeat this exercise in all 12 keys.
10. Put on a major and minor key ii-V-I backing track and solo over the V7 chord using
it’s related Altered Scale.
 Altered Scale ii V I Major Applications

Now that you understand how to build and Altered Scale, and can play at least two
different fingerings for this scale on the guitar, let’s look at how you can apply this scale
to your major key ii V I soloing lines.

Since the Altered Scale is played over a Dominant 7th chord, you can use it to solo over
the V7 chord in a iim7 V7 Imaj7 chord progression.

When using the Altered Scale in this instance, you will be creating tension over the V7
chord that will then be resolved into the Imaj7 chord in the next measure.

Here is an example of how you would apply a G Altered Scale to the G7 chord, V7, in a
Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 chord progression.

Try putting on a Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 backing track and soloing over the Dm7 and Cmaj7
chords as you normally would. Then, when you reach the G7 chord, treat it as a G7alt
chord by playing the G Altered Scale over that measure in the progression, Ab Melodic
Minor if you want to think about it that way.

This sound, playing V7alt in a major key ii V I isn’t for everyone. But, if you can work this
tension into your lines, and properly resolve it, you will be able to bring a new level of
melodic sophistication into your lines and solos.

Altered Scale ii V I Minor Applications

The more traditional way to apply the Altered Scale to a solo is over the V7alt chord in a
minor key iim7b5 V7alt Im6 chord progression.
You can see an example of this below, where G7alt is used in the second bar to sound
the V7alt chord in the key of C minor.

Again, put on a Dm7b5 G7alt Cm6 backing track and practice soloing over this
progression while using the G Altered Scale in the second measure, to sound the V7alt
chord in the key.

This sound is just as tense as the major key ii V I you looked at earlier, but for some
reason since it is in a minor key, it resolves easily into the Im6 chord, and so it is slightly
easier to apply as your ears will hear it as “more normal” right away, as opposed to the
major key application which may take some time and practice to get to that point.

5 Altered Scale Licks

To get you started with some common Altered Scale vocabulary, here are five of my
favorite Altered Scale licks that you can check out in the woodshed.

Try working on these licks in the given key first, then take them to all 12 keys around the
fretboard, as well as practice them with different tempos on the metronome.

When you are ready, put on a backing track and solo over a V7alt chord, or ii V I chord
progression, and start to bring these lines into your soloing.

Then, once you can play the licks as written in your solos, start to alter them. Add notes,
take notes away, change the rhythm etc., to start to take these licks off the page and
make them your own.
Altered Lick 1

Altered Lick 2

Altered Lick 3
 Altered Lick 4

Altered Lick 5

As you can see, the Altered scale is not only an important sound to have under your
fingers and in your ears, but it can be a fun scale to work on in the practice room from
both a technical and improvisational standpoint.

After checking out this scale in the woodshed, head on over to the Matt Warnock Guitar
Facebook Page and share your thoughts on this lesson or ask any questions you may
have regarding the Altered Scale, or anything jazz guitar for that matter.