The Altered Scale – A Simple How To Guide

Posted on by freejazzlessons

Are your dominant chords getting a bit boring? Do you wish you knew some more interesting scales to use over them?

Well, in today’s jazz scale lesson I’m going to teach you a very cool sounding scale you can play over your dominant chords.

This scale is called the altered scale. Check out the video below and then scroll down to check out the notation and get more tips on how to play and use it.

Scales and Chords Are Good Friends

In order for us to better understand the altered scale we need to understand one simple thing about jazz chords.

It’s pretty much standard fair that when we play jazz most of our chords will have added extensions on there (some combination of 9′s, 11′s, 13′s).

So, for example if you see a C7 written in a chords symbol you won’t just play the notes C, E, G, Bb (1, 3, 5, 7). Jazz harmony is much richer than that. Chords have more notes that are played.

You’ll often times add in a D, or an F, or an A  on your chord (9, 11, and 13th of the chord).

How To Build The Altered Scale

We can alter these extensions of the chord we just mentioned as well by playing b9′s, #9′s, #11, and b13′s. This is how we get the altered scale.

We alter every extension of the chord.  No natural extensions like 9, 11, and 13. Everything will be flatted or sharped!

The altered scale features all the chord tones of a dominant 7th chord (1, 3, 5, and b7) plus all the extensions of the chord altered.

So, the theory for the altered scale is 1, b9, 3rd, #9, #11, b13, and b7.

So, whenever you see a dominant V7 chord to I written within a chord progression you can play an altered scale over the dominant chord.

By altering these notes on a dominant chord it really increases the tension. As we demonstrated in the video above if you really learn how to smoothly resolve this scale into your I chord it can create some very beautiful sounds.

Music is all about controlled tension and release. 

More Scale And Chord Resources

If dominant chord extensions are brand new to you than I highly recommend you check out this dominant chord extensions starter lesson to get you up to speed.

If you would like more information on some other useful jazz scales than you should check out this major chord scale lesson, this minor chord scale lesson, or this dominant chord scale article.

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Steve Nixon is the proud owner of Freejazzlessons.com. He is a world touring jazz and blues keyboard player and educator.

Steve is also the author of the new Jazz Masters Method (a study of 9 legendary jazz piano players) and the Learn Blues Piano DVD Course.

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