About the A sharp Altered scale
A sharp Altered is used for jazz solos over altered dominant chords. Think of it as the altered dominant scale, a major third surrounded by every tension raised or lowered. It is A♯ Locrian with the fourth lowered.
Its notes are A♯, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, and G♯. The formula is H W H W W W W. It is the seventh mode of B Melodic Minor Ascending.
Also called Super Locrian and Altered Dominant.
E, D, and B are open guitar strings that sit inside the key, ready to drone under a riff. The lowest A♯ on a standard-tuned guitar sits at the 1st fret of the A string. Placed at the first fret, a capo lets A♯ Altered be played with A-shape fingerings.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
CAGED
Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.
3NPS
3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.
7-position system
7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.
Chords in the key of A sharp Altered
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Seventh chords in A sharp Altered
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Progressions in A sharp Altered
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | A#A♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | BB | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | C#C♯ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | DD | Diminished 4th |
| 5 | EE | Diminished 5th |
| 6 | F#F♯ | Minor 6th |
| 7 | G#G♯ | Minor 7th |
| Steps | H W H W W W W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-2-1-2-2-2-2 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Altered in other keys
C Altered scaleC sharp Altered scaleD Altered scaleD sharp Altered scaleE Altered scaleF Altered scaleF sharp Altered scaleG Altered scaleG sharp Altered scaleA Altered scaleB Altered scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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