Altered · G · Guitar
The G Altered scale is G A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F — formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7, step pattern H–W–H–W–W–W–W. Use it over G7alt: it is the scale for altered dominant chords (7♭9, 7♯9, 7♯5, 7♭13) resolving to a tonic — the V7alt in a ii–V–I. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play runs the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes in the position starting at fret 3. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Reference
| Degree | Note | Interval from G | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | unison (0 semitones) | H |
| ♭2 | A♭ | minor 2nd (1 semitones) | W |
| ♭3 | B♭ | minor 3rd (3 semitones) | H |
| ♭4 | C♭ | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W |
| ♭5 | D♭ | tritone (6 semitones) | W |
| ♭6 | E♭ | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | F | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: G7alt (G – B♭ – D♭ – F). Use it for: altered dominant chords (7♭9, 7♯9, 7♯5, 7♭13) resolving to a tonic — the V7alt in a ii–V–I.
Common questions
G A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F. As scale degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. It has 7 notes.
G Altered fits G7alt and, more generally, altered dominant chords (7♭9, 7♯9, 7♯5, 7♭13) resolving to a tonic — the V7alt in a ii–V–I.
1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is H W H W W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Start on the root G on the low E string at fret 3, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 3, E-string fret 4, E-string fret 6, E-string fret 7, A-string fret 4, A-string fret 6, D-string fret 3, D-string fret 5. Every G on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Same scale on piano · all Altered pages: Altered hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from G