About the A Altered Scale (Super Locrian)
The A altered scale is a 7-note scale. All altered tensions (♭9, #9, ♭5, #5) for dominant 7th chords resolving to minor. Its notes are A, A#, C, C#, D#, F and G, built from the formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7.
- Notes
- A – A# – C – C# – D# – F – G
- Formula
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
- Steps
- H W H W W W W (1–2–1–2–2–2–2 semitones)
- Root
- A
A Altered Scale (Super Locrian) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Root |
| ♭2 | A# | Minor 2nd |
| ♭3 | C | Minor 3rd |
| 3 | C# | Major 3rd |
| ♭5 | D# | Tritone (♭5) |
| ♭6 | F | Minor 6th |
| ♭7 | G | Minor 7th |
Where to play the A Altered Scale (Super Locrian) on 6-string bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (B E A D G C), lowest string first. Root notes (A) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| B0 | 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 |
| E1 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 |
| A1 | 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
| D2 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
| G2 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
| C3 | 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
How to practice the altered scale
- Use over V7alt chords resolving to minor
- Practice the melodic minor a half step up
- Work on jazz turnarounds (ii-V-i)
- Emphasize the ♭9 and #9 tensions
- Great for creating outside tension before resolution
Scales with the same notes as A Altered Scale (Super Locrian)
These scales share every note with the A altered scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Altered scale in other keys
Other scales in A
- A Minor Pentatonic
- A Major Pentatonic
- A Mixolydian Pentatonic
- A Natural Minor
- A Major (Ionian)
- A Blues
- A Dorian
- A Mixolydian
- A Phrygian
- A Harmonic Minor
- A Lydian
- A Locrian
- A Diminished (Half-Whole)
- A Diminished (Whole-Half)
- A Whole Tone
- A Augmented (Hexatonic)
- A Phrygian Dominant
- A Lydian Dominant
- A Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- A Bebop Dominant
- A Quartal (Stacked 4ths)
- A Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)