Playing the C Altered Scale on Guitar
The C Super Locrian scale, better known as the C altered scale, is C, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab and Bb. Fb is the one theoretical name: it sounds like E, the major third of a C dominant chord.
Find the root on the 8th fret of the low E string or the 3rd fret of the A string. The notes are Db melodic minor, which starts a half step above the root, a handy shortcut. Read about the Superlocrian scale over altered dominants to hear it in use.
Play the C super locrian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the C super locrian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Db | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| Eb | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| Fb | b4 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| Gb | b5 | Tritone | 6 |
| Ab | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| Bb | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
C super locrian scale notes:
How the super locrian scale is built:
The super locrian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7, which gives the step pattern H-W-H-W-W-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 7 of the Melodic Minor Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
It is also known as Altered Scale and Altered Dominant.
C Super Locrian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (B)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the C super locrian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the super locrian scale, starting from a different degree.
The super locrian scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
