Guitar scale · super Locrian
C# Altered Scale
7th mode of Melodic Minor. The ultimate scale for altered dominant chords in jazz solos.
Tap any note to hear it.
How to play C# Altered on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# on the neck; the gold ones are the other chord tones (3rd, 5th and 7th), which are the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 9–13. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C# |
| ♭9 | D |
| ♯9 | E |
| 3 | E# |
| ♭5 | G |
| ♯5 | A |
| ♭7 | B |
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Altered Scale?
- The C# Altered Scale has 7 notes: C#, D, E, E#, G, A, B.
- What is the formula of the altered scale?
- 1 ♭9 ♯9 3 ♭5 ♯5 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W H W W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C# Altered on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.