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D altered scale on bass guitar
D altered contains D, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, and C. Box 1 places the root on string 3, fret 5 for a low-position altered shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, ♭4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the D altered scale on bass?
D altered in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 10 notes across 4 strings, from F on the E string at fret 1 up to B♭ on the G string at fret 3. No root falls inside this box; it sits between two of them.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 1, 3 | B♭, C |
| 2 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 1 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
D altered in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 8 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D on the G string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 5 and the G string at fret 7.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (A) | 5, 6 | D, E♭ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 5, 7 | C, D |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
D altered in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 9 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to E♭ on the G string at fret 8. The root falls on the G string at fret 7.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
| 3 (A) | 6, 8, 9 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (G) | 7, 8 | D, E♭ |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
D altered in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 11 notes across 4 strings, from C on the E string at fret 8 up to G♭ on the G string at fret 11. The root falls on the E string at fret 10.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 10, 11 | C, D, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 8, 9, 11 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 8, 10 | B♭, C |
| 1 (G) | 8, 10, 11 | E♭, F, G♭ |
Box 5 · frets 10–13
D altered in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 11 notes across 4 strings, from D on the E string at fret 10 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the E string at fret 10 and the D string at fret 12.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 10, 11, 13 | D, E♭, F |
| 3 (A) | 11, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 10, 12, 13 | C, D, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 10, 11, 13 | F, G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
D altered lowers the fourth of D locrian to G♭, giving 1, ♭2, ♭3, ♭4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7. The tritone appears between D and A♭. See D locrian for the natural fourth.
When to use it
D altered fits D 7th flat 5 and D 7th sharp 5 chords. Use it over D 7th flat 5 in jazz-rock or fusion. The ♭2 and ♭6 create a tense dominant sound.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. The root on string 3, fret 5 keeps the scale in a comfortable low position.
Common questions
What notes are in D altered?
D altered contains D, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, and C. The scale degrees are 1, ♭2, ♭3, ♭4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7. It is also called Altered Dominant.
Which chords does D altered fit?
D altered fits D 7th flat 5 and D 7th sharp 5 chords. The scale works over dominant chords with altered fifths. Use it for jazz-rock or fusion.
How does D altered differ from D locrian?
D altered lowers the fourth degree from G to G♭. This creates a ♭4 interval instead of a perfect fourth. The rest of the scale matches D locrian.