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E♭ altered scale on guitar
E♭ altered uses E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭. Its Box 2 shape places the root on string 5, fret 6 for a mid-neck altered run.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, ♭4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the E♭ altered scale on guitar?
E♭ altered in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 14 notes across 6 strings, from F♭ on the low E string at fret 0 up to A♭♭ on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the D string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 2, 3 | F♭, G♭, A♭♭ |
| 5 (A) | 0, 2 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 2 | E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 0, 2 | A♭♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (B) | 0, 2 | C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 0, 2, 3 | F♭, G♭, A♭♭ |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
E♭ altered in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 16 notes across 6 strings, from G♭ on the low E string at fret 2 up to B♭♭ on the high e string at fret 5. The root falls on the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2, 3, 5 | G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭ |
| 5 (A) | 2, 4 | C♭, D♭ |
| 4 (D) | 2, 4, 5 | F♭, G♭, A♭♭ |
| 3 (G) | 2, 4 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 2, 4, 5 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (e) | 2, 3, 5 | G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭ |
Box 3 · frets 5–8
E♭ altered in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 13 notes across 6 strings, from B♭♭ on the low E string at fret 5 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5, 7 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7 | E♭, F♭ |
| 4 (D) | 5, 7 | A♭♭, B♭♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 5, 7, 8 | F♭, G♭, A♭♭ |
| 1 (e) | 5, 7 | B♭♭, C♭ |
Box 4 · frets 7–10
E♭ altered in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 14 notes across 6 strings, from C♭ on the low E string at fret 7 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 9 | C♭, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 7, 9, 10 | F♭, G♭, A♭♭ |
| 4 (D) | 7, 9 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 8, 9 | E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (B) | 7, 8, 10 | G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (e) | 7, 9 | C♭, D♭ |
Box 5 · frets 9–12
E♭ altered in box 5 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 16 notes across 6 strings, from D♭ on the low E string at fret 9 up to F♭ on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9, 11, 12 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 5 (A) | 9, 10, 12 | G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭ |
| 4 (D) | 9, 11 | C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 9, 11, 12 | F♭, G♭, A♭♭ |
| 2 (B) | 10, 12 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 9, 11, 12 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
Box 6 · frets 11–14
E♭ altered in box 6 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 16 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 14. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11, the D string at fret 13 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 12, 14 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | D♭, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 12, 14 | G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (B) | 12, 14 | C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ altered is the seventh mode of F♭ melodic minor. The scale spells 1, ♭2, ♭3, ♭4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7, with A♭♭ as the ♭4 and B♭♭ as the ♭5. Compared with E♭ locrian, the fourth drops from A♭ to A♭♭. The pattern H, W, H, W, W, W, W keeps half steps at the start and middle.
When to use it
Use E♭ altered over E♭7♭5 or E♭7♯5 chords in jazz, fusion, and bebop. It fits dominant chords that resolve to A♭ minor or A♭ major. The altered fifths and ninths add tension before a ii–V–I in A♭. Try it over E♭ 7th flat 5 or E♭ 7th sharp 5.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 2 first. It keeps the root on string 5, fret 6 and covers frets 2–5, making the half-step from E♭ to F♭ easy to hear and finger.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ altered?
E♭ altered contains E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭♭, B♭♭, C♭, and D♭. The formula is 1, ♭2, ♭3, ♭4, ♭5, ♭6, ♭7. It is the seventh mode of F♭ melodic minor. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does E♭ altered fit?
E♭ altered fits dominant chords with altered fifths, such as E♭7♭5 and E♭7♯5. It also works over E♭7♭9 and E♭7♯9. These chords typically resolve to A♭ minor or A♭ major.
How does E♭ altered differ from E♭ locrian?
E♭ altered has a flattened fourth (A♭♭) while E♭ locrian has a perfect fourth (A♭). The rest of the notes are identical. This single change makes altered sound more dissonant.
What is the step pattern for E♭ altered?
The step pattern is H, W, H, W, W, W, W. Starting on E♭, that gives E♭–F♭–G♭–A♭♭–B♭♭–C♭–D♭. The half steps fall between the first two and third and fourth degrees.