The Altered Dominant Scale

[Scruffles]

The seventh mode of melodic minor (1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8) is the altered dominant scale. Its scale degrees are 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 8, and its intervals are H W H W W W W. In C, it is spelled C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C. It is called Altered Dominant because it works perfectly over altered dominant chords. All altered dominant chords have a root (1), major third (3), and minor seventh (b7). The alterations in altered dominant chords are b5, +5, b9, and +9. Spelled enharmonically, those are b5, b6, b2, and b3, respectively. Place all these notes into a scale, and you get: 1 b2 b3 3 b5 b6 b7 8. If you spell the 3 as a b4, you get 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 8, which is the altered dominant scale. Its triads are:

i°
ii
iii
IV+
V
VI
vii°

In C:

C°
Dbm
Ebm
Fb+
Gb
Ab
Bb°

We already know that the Altered Dominant scale works perfectly over altered dominant chords, but it's also great to add tension. If you're playing over a progression like this:

|| Cmaj7 | Am7 | Dm7 | G7 ||

You could technically play C major over the whole thing, as all of those chords are diatonic in the key of C major. However, if you play G Altered Dominant over the G7, it will add even more tension, which is actually quite desirable for a V chord (hell, it's the whole point).

The altered dominant scale also works perfectly over any altered chord. If you're playing over a progression like this:

|| Dm13 | G7b9+5 | Cmaj9 | C6/9 ||

You could play C major over the whole thing, but the G altered dominant scale would work perfectly over the G7b9+5 chord. The notes in G altered dominant are G Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F G, and the notes in G7b9+5 are G B D# F Ab, or G Cb Eb F Ab, all notes of the scale.

[bjurman]

Very intereseting. Ive read t his in a million different places and although i get it, i cant quite digest it into my playing. Its interesting though that using the melodic minor 7th mode you get the altered scale useful over altered chords (usually the altered dominant) and by using the 7th mode of harmonic minor you get the diminished scale which is great for dominant chords that have a diminished triad. useful for soloing in jazz big time.

also, you like Nels Cline? did you know hes in Wilco now?

[Scruffles]

The most important part of using the altered dominant scale in your playing is phrasing; use it at the ends of phrases before resolving or on weaker beats. If you play an outside note on a strong beat, you just sound like an amateur, If you play an outside note on a weaker beat, you sound like you're completely in control of tension and resolution.

And the seventh mode of harmonic minor is Super Locrian bb7, or 1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 bb7 8 (H W H W W H W+H). The diminished scale is 1 b2 b3 3 b5 5 6 b7 8 (H W H W H W H W).

And I haven't heard much Nels. I just agree completely with the quote.

[GnRockGod79]

Very good Scruffles! Great lesson!! I dont have much time to dive into it, but tomorrow, Im gettin right into this thing. Awesomely interesting!!
smitty:mad2:

[shred_rulez]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing the lesson.

[pickula]

"The most important part of using the altered dominant scale in your playing is phrasing; use it at the ends of phrases before resolving or on weaker beats. If you play an outside note on a strong beat, you just sound like an amateur, If you play an outside note on a weaker beat, you sound like you're completely in control of tension and resolution."

You're 100% right regarding the importance of how you phrase things but 100% wrong that if you play an outside note on a strong beat, you just sound like an amateur. Many great jazz players do exactly that and they don't sound at all amateurish when doing it. One common thing which happens in jazz (particularly in modern jazz) is the use of pentatonics extracted from 7 note scales - if you take the pentatonic from the altered dominant, you get the 7th, the b5, the #5,the b9 and the #9; this would give a Bb pentatonic minor over a G7 chord. These notes are commonly played both on and off the beat by a huge number of musicians.

That is of course an extreme example, in the sense that a lot of modern jazz deliberately uses 'outside' playing to heighten tension to a greater degree than that found in other musical forms; however, more conventional jazz stylists (such as Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery etc) use altered scale tones on strong beats - there are many transcriptions online of such players, it's easy to study them and see how the altered dominant scale is normally used.

I don't mean to be too critical here though, it's good to see such information being passed on; I just felt that on that one particular point you are not correct, and that could have caused confusion for people just starting to get to grips with this scale.

[wild_axeman]

just follow your ear and use your musical sense and folow the melodic logic as it unfolds and let your ears be the judge and let your ears be your guide

go with your gut feeling and use your best musical intuition to try and detect with your ears what logically makes sense melodically and just go with it

use your best horse sense and go with your best melodic logic of what sounds best based on what you are hearing with your ears

if you can tap into that kind of thinking and hearing you'll probably be alright

if it sounds good then who cares what the theoretical explanation of it is

theory just enables you to analzye stuff that's already been done which is a big part of learning

you may analzye things that have already been done before to learn from it and to get some ideas but the creative process involves LISTENING and trial-and-error and again LISTENING... as well as focusing and using your intuition and sense and logic to patiently assemble something unique that is creatively your own unique little creation,lol