Melodic MinorDegree 7

Altered

Electric violet and deep red. crackling with energy. Lightning before the storm breaks. Intense but purposeful.

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Scale NotesAltered in C
C
D♭
D♯
E
G♭
G♯
B♭
Interval Formula
1♭2♯23♭5♯5♭7
Primary Chord
The tonic chord built from this mode
C7alt

Chord Tones

CEF♯A♯C♯

All Diatonic Chords

C7altC♯maj7♯5D♯7Em(maj7)F♯m7G♯m7A♯m7♭5
Chord Voicings
Guitar voicings for C7alt
C7alt8Root, ♭7, 3, ♯5. Compact altered dominant with ♯5 tension.
C7altRoot, 3, ♭7, ♯9. Compact altered voicing with ♯9 sound.
C7alt2Root, ♭7, 3, ♭9, ♯5. Full altered voicing with ♭9 and ♯5.
Fretboard

Altered in C

123456789101112131415EADGBeEF♯G♯A♯CC♯D♯EF♯A♯CC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯CD♯EF♯G♯A♯CC♯D♯EG♯A♯CC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯CC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯CC♯EF♯G♯A♯CC♯D♯EF♯
RootCharacteristic toneScale tone
Listen
Audio. Altered in C
Tempo:
180 BPM

Musical Context

Diatonic Context
Chords built from the D♭ melodic minor scale — click any chord for voicings
Where to Use Altered
Primary Chord
C7alt
Function
Leading Tone
Key Context
The vii° chord in D♭ melodic minor

Maximum tension over a dominant chord.

Example Progressions
Progressions where Altered applies (in C)
i → IV → vii°
i: D♭m(maj7)IV: G♭7vii°: Cm7♭5

Use Altered on the highlighted chord

The most important progression in jazz.

Practice in Play Along →
IV → vii°
IV: G♭7vii°: Cm7♭5

Use Altered on the highlighted chord

Altered dominant resolving to major tonic.

Practice in Play Along →
i → IV
i: D♭m(maj7)IV: G♭7

Use Altered on the highlighted chord

The first two chords of a minor ii-V-i without the resolution.

Practice in Play Along →
Arpeggio Connection
The arpeggio that matches the C7alt chord
Altered Dominant
C7alt
Tones
C
R
E
3
B♭
♭7
Highlighted = guide tones (define chord quality)

Sound

Maximum tension over a dominant chord. Every extension is altered. ♭9, ♯9, ♭5, ♯5. It's the sound of bebop tension about to explode into resolution. Chaotic but controlled.

Practical Use Cases

  • ●Over dominant 7th chords resolving to their I chord (V7-I)
  • ●Creating maximum tension in ii-V-I progressions
  • ●Bebop and post-bop soloing
  • ●Any V7alt, 7♯9, 7♭9, 7♯5, or 7♭5 chord
  • ●The 'jazz tension' sound

Practical Notes

The most important 'tension' scale in jazz. It's the seventh mode of melodic minor. to play C Altered, think D♭ melodic minor (a half-step up). This is the #1 trick: see a G7 resolving to Cmaj7? Play A♭ melodic minor over the G7. Every note creates tension that resolves beautifully. You can also think of it as a scale built on all the altered tensions: ♭9, ♯9, ♯11, ♭13. Start using this over V7 chords and you'll immediately sound more 'jazz.' Pair it with Lydian Dominant for a tension/release vocabulary over dominant chords.

dominanttensionjazz-essentialbebopaltered-dominant

Musical Examples

Donna Lee
commonly-cited
Charlie Parker · Bebop/Jazz

A definitive bebop head where the melody implies altered dominant sounds. Improvisers universally use the Altered scale over the V7 chords in this tune.

Giant Steps
commonly-cited
John Coltrane · Jazz

While the tune uses multiple scale approaches, the Altered scale is essential for navigating the dominant chords. This is a landmark recording for advanced dominant chord improvisation.

Practice Drills

Ascending & Descending in One PositionBeginnerTechnique
5 min

Play the mode ascending and descending within a single five-fret box. Build muscle memory and connect the sound to the shape.

Three-Notes-Per-String PatternsIntermediateTechnique
10 min

Play the mode using three notes on every string, stretching across the neck. Great for building legato technique and hearing the scale in a linear way.

Emphasize Characteristic Tones on Strong BeatsIntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Create short melodic phrases that land the mode's characteristic tone(s) on beats 1 and 3. This trains you to bring out the sound that defines the mode.

Improvise Over a Matching ChordBeginnerImprovisation
5 min

Play the mode's parent chord as a loop (or use a backing track) and improvise over it for two minutes. This connects the mode to its harmonic context.

Create 3 Licks Using Only Strings 1–3IntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Compose three short licks (2–4 beats each) using only the top three strings. This forces creativity within a constraint and builds upper-register vocabulary.

Resolve from Tension to StabilityIntermediateEar Training
8 min

Practice approaching chord tones from a half step above or below, training your ear to hear tension resolve.

Try Altered in Play Along

Practice improvising over real chord changes with guided scale and target note suggestions.

Compare With

Altered vs Mixolydian
The maximum contrast between dominant scales. Mixolydian is the most 'inside' dominant sound; the Altered scale is the most 'outside,' with every possible tension note altered.
Altered vs Lydian Dominant
The two most important melodic minor modes for dominant chords, sitting at opposite ends of the tension spectrum. One creates maximum dissonance; the other creates maximum consonance with color.

Related Modes

MixolydianLydian DominantPhrygian Dominant

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