Piano scales

Scales source and guide for musicians

Super Locrian Scales

The Super Locrian, also known as the Dominant Altered Scale, is built on the Locrian Mode and is particularly used in modern jazz and fusion. The scale is typically used together with altered dominant seventh chords, such as 7b9 and 7#9. Yet another name for this scale is Diminished Whole Tone. The scale is also identical to the seventh mode of the Melodic Minor (e.g. G# Super Locrian is identical to A Melodic Minor).

Super Locrian is sometimes just called Altered Scale (but it is not a great name since there are more altered scales), while five of seven notes have been altered in comparison to the normal notes in the major keys. The scale includes a minor seventh, which is characteristic for seventh dominant chords. It also has both diminished and augmented fifths, which are typical ingredients in altered seventh chords (the scale consists of tones that can be found in every possible altered dominant 7th chord).

Super Locrian Scales overview
C: C, Db, D#, E, Gb, Ab, Bb (C, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, C)
C#/Db: C#, D, E, F, G, A, B, C# / Db, D, E, F, G, A, B, Db
D: D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D
D#/Eb: D#, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D# / Eb, E, Gb, G, A, B, Db, Eb (Eb, Fb, Gb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb)
E: E, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E
F: F, Gb, G#, A, B, C#, D#, F (F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb, F)
F#/Gb: F#, G, A, A#, C, D, E, F# (F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#) / Gb, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, Gb
G: G, Ab, A#, B, Db, D#, F, G (G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, G)
G#/Ab: G#, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G# / Ab, A, B, C, D, E, Gb, Ab (Ab, Bbb, Cb, Dbb, Ebb, Fb, Gb, Ab)
A: A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, A
A#/Bb: A#, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A# / Bb, B, Db, D, E, Gb, Ab, Bb (Bb, Cb, Db, Ebb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb)
B: B, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B

Intervals: 1, 2b, 2#, 3, 5b, 5#, 7b
Semi-notes: 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2
Formula: Half, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Whole