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Altered · G · Piano

G Altered scale on piano

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 two-octave keyboard; press play to hear it on a synthesized piano while each note lights up, or tap any key to sound that note.

Visualizer

G Altered on the keyboard.

Piano

D♭E♭A♭B♭D♭E♭A♭B♭FGC♭FGC♭
RootChord tone (1 3 5 7)Scale toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound

Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play runs the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.

Reference

G Altered — notes, degrees & intervals.

DegreeNoteInterval from GStep to next
1Gunison (0 semitones)H
♭2A♭minor 2nd (1 semitones)W
♭3B♭minor 3rd (3 semitones)H
♭4C♭major 3rd (4 semitones)W
♭5D♭tritone (6 semitones)W
♭6E♭minor 6th (8 semitones)W
♭7Fminor 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 Altered FAQ.

What are the notes of the G Altered scale?

G A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F. As scale degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. It has 7 notes.

What chords does G Altered work over?

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.

What is the formula of the Altered scale?

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).

How do I play G Altered on piano?

Play G A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G ascending from the root, then descend. The keyboard above shows every root in gold, chord tones outlined in amber and the remaining scale tones in teal; use the Play button to hear the fingering tempo.

Keep going

Altered in every other key.

Same scale on guitar · all Altered pages: Altered hub · theory: chord-scale theory.

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