B Altered
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
B Altered Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Altered scale is the ultimate dominant scale in jazz. On Ukulele, its notes are B, C, D, D#, F, G, A. It contains every possible altered tension, making it sound extremely dissonant and complex. It is used by professional improvisers to create maximum tension over a dominant chord before a satisfying resolution. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Post-Bop, Contemporary. Notable players include John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea. Use over 7alt, 7#9, 7b9, 7#5, 7b5 chords. The definitive scale for altered dominant chords that resolve to minor. Play C Altered over C7alt resolving to Fm.
Notes: B, C, D, D#, F, G, A
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 2A, 3M, 4A, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 #3 4 #5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-H-W-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: super locrian, diminished whole tone, pomeroy
Musical Character
Contains every possible altered tension (b9, #9, b5, #5) over a dominant chord. It is the ultimate 'tension before resolution' scale — play it on V7 and resolve to I for maximum drama.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Post-Bop, Contemporary
Notable players: John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea
How to Use the B Altered Scale
Use over 7alt, 7#9, 7b9, 7#5, 7b5 chords. The definitive scale for altered dominant chords that resolve to minor. Play C Altered over C7alt resolving to Fm.
Origin & Background
Also called Super Locrian or Diminished Whole Tone. The crown jewel of jazz theory — understanding this scale unlocks professional-level improvisation.
Related Scales
Altered is the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor scale (Super Locrian). View B Melodic minor scale
The B Altered scale contains 7 notes (B, C, D, D#, F, G, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.