D Altered Piano Scale
Piano scale diagram
D Altered Scale — Notes and Intervals
The D Altered scale is the ultimate dominant scale in jazz. On Piano, its notes are D, Eb, F, F#, G#, Bb, C. It contains every possible altered tension, making it sound extremely dissonant and complex. It is used by professional improvisers to create maximum tension over a dominant chord before a satisfying resolution. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Post-Bop, Contemporary. Notable players include John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea. Use over 7alt, 7#9, 7b9, 7#5, 7b5 chords. The definitive scale for altered dominant chords that resolve to minor. Play C Altered over C7alt resolving to Fm.
Notes: D, Eb, F, F#, G#, Bb, C
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 2A, 3M, 4A, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 #3 4 #5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-H-W-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: super locrian, diminished whole tone, pomeroy
How to Play D Altered on Piano
On piano, the D Altered scale uses 4 black keys. With several black keys involved, let the thumb naturally fall on white keys where possible. Practice hands separately at first, paying attention to smooth thumb-under transitions.
The D Altered scale contains both sharps and flats (2 sharps, 2 flats), which is common in altered and exotic scales. This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the D Altered scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (D-F, Eb-F#) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Exotic scales like the Altered often work best as a melodic layer over a single root drone on D. Let the unique intervals speak for themselves without frequent chord changes.
Piano Tips
At the piano, try voicing the D Altered scale in the left hand as blocked intervals (thirds or sixths) while the right hand plays the melody. This develops your harmonic ear and comping skills simultaneously.
The D Altered scale contains 7 notes (D, Eb, F, F#, G#, Bb, C). Use the interactive piano diagram above to explore this scale on Piano.