Altered scales
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. They are in most cases much less used than the main versions.
Altered Pentatonic
The Altered Pentatonic is mostly used in jazz and deviate from both the Major and Minor Pentatonic in different ways. One special feature is the quadra-step interval between the first and second scale step.
Intervals: 1, b3, 3, b5, b6, 6, 7
Semi-notes: 1 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 3
Example of a scale, C Altered Pentatonic: C, Eb, F, G, A
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Major Pentatonic | C | D | E | G | A | ||
| Minor Pentatonic | C | Eb | F | G | Bb | ||
| Altered Pentatonic | C | Eb | F | G | A |
Super Locrian
The Super Locrian Scale is also known as the Altered Scale but should not be confused with the group of scales categorized as altered. The reason for the variation of the scale to include the word “Super” is because the scale is altered five times compared to the Major Scale. Compared to the Locrian Scale, the fourth is flatted and that is the reason for this scale also being called Altered Locrian b4.
Intervals: 1, 2b, 2#, 3, 5b, 5#, 7b
Semi-notes: 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2
Example of a scale, C Super Locrian: C, Db, Eb, Fb (E), Gb, Ab, Bb
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Locrian | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb |
| Super Locrian | C | Db | Eb | Fb | Gb | Ab | Bb |
Altered Lydian scales
Lydian #2, Lydian b3, Lydian #5 and Lydian b7 are four altered scales of the Lydian mode. The most common is the Lydian b7 (a.k.a. Lydian Dominant) and less common is the Lydian b3 (a.k.a. Lydian Diminished). Notice that Lydian #5 (a.k.a. Lydian Augmented) is relative to the Melodic Minor.
Example of a scale, C Lydian #2: C, D#, E, F#, G, A, B
Example of a scale, C Lydian b3: C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, B
Example of a scale, C Lydian #5: C, D, E, F#, G#, A, B
Example of a scale, C Lydian b7: C, D, E, F#, G, A, Bb
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Lydian | C | D | E | F# | G | A | B |
| Lydian #2 | C | D# | E | F# | G | A | B |
| Lydian b3 | C | D | Eb | F# | G | A | B |
| Lydian #5 | C | D | E | F# | G# | A | B |
| Lydian b7 | C | D | E | F# | G | A | Bb |
Altered Mixolydian
The Altered Mixolydian differs in two ways from the Mixolydian Scale. It includes a raised fifth and the seventh degree is raised.
Intervals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5#, 6, 7
Semi-notes: 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 1
Example of a scale, C Altered Mixolydian: C, D, E, F, G, G#, A, B
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | #5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Mixolydian | C | D | E | F | G | A | Bb | |
| Altered Mixolydian | C | D | E | F | G | G# | A | B |
Altered Dorian
Dorian b2, Dorian #4 (a.k.a. Ukrainian Dorian Scale) and Dorian b5 (a.k.a. Dorian Diminished) are all altered scales and in this case alternative versions of the Dorian Scale.
Example of a scale, C Dorian b2: C, Db, Eb, F, G, A, Bb
Example of a scale, C Dorian #4: C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb
Example of a scale, C Dorian b5: C, D, Eb, F, Gb, A, Bb
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Dorian | C | D | Eb | F | G | A | Bb |
| Dorian b2 | C | Db | Eb | F | G | A | Bb |
| Dorian #4 | C | D | Eb | F# | G | A | Bb |
| Dorian b5 | C | D | Eb | F | Gb | A | Bb |
Phrygian b4
In comparison with the Phrygian is the fourth note in the scale lowered in the Phrygian b4.
Intervals: 1, b2, b3, b4, 5, b6, b7
Semi-notes: 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 2
Example of a scale, C Phrygian b4: C, Db, Eb, Fb, G, Ab, Bb
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| A Phrygian | A | Bb | C | D | E | F | G |
| A Phrygian b4 | A | Bb | C | Db | E | F | G |
Altered Aeolian
In comparison with the Aeolian, in Aeolian b1, the first note is lowered. C Aeolian b1 is almost identical with C# Aeolian if the notes are compared.
Intervals: 1b, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7
Semi-notes: 3 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 1
Example of a scale, C Aeolian b1: C, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| A Aeolian | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| Ab Aeolian b1 | Ab | B | C | D | E | F | G |
Another altered Aeolian scale is the Aeolian b5 (Locrian #2 Scale), in which the fifth is flattened compared to the regular Aeolian.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| A Aeolian | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| A Aeolian b5 | A | B | C | D | Eb | F | G |
Ionian #5
In comparison with the Ionian Scale is the fifth raised in the altered Ionian Scale.
Intervals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5#, 6, 7
Semi-notes: 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 1
Example of a scale, C Altered Ionian #5: C, D, E, F, G#, A, B
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Ionian | C | D | E | F | G | A | B |
| Ionian #5 | C | D | E | F | G# | A | B |
Other altered scales
More examples of altered scales:
- Major b6 Scale
- Mixolydian b6
- Locrian bb7
- Super Locrian bb7
The presented material doesn’t include all scale alterations that can be found, but the excluded ones are in most cases to be considered as extraneous.
See also: Dominant scales