Topmusicanswers
- How do you use altered dominant scale?
- What are altered dominants?
- What notes are in the altered scale?
- What is an altered scale piano?
How do you use altered dominant scale?
To find the appropriate notes for an altered scale, simply go up a half step from the root of the chord and play the ascending form of the melodic minor scale (a major scale with a flatted third). So, on G7, you would play Ab melodic minor starting on G, and voila, you're playing G altered.
What are altered dominants?
An altered chord is when you change one or more of the notes in a diatonic chord (a chord taken from a diatonic scale, as shown above) by either raising it or lowering it a semitone. If we're in C major like the scales above, a dominant chord (which would be G major) would use the notes G – B – D.
What notes are in the altered scale?
The pitches in the altered scale are:
- the root.
- flat two (♭2)—also referred to as flat nine (♭9)
- sharp two (♯2)—also referred to as sharp nine (♯9)
- major third.
- flat five (b5)—also referred to as sharp eleven (♯11) or the tritone of the scale.
- flat six (♭6)—also referred to as flat thirteen (♭13)
- flat seven (♭7)
What is an altered scale piano?
Altered scales include one or more notes that is lowered or raised compared to its main variation. For example, Altered Locrian b4 that is identical to the Locrian Scale except for the flatted fourth. Altered scales are based on the same principles as altered chords.
