B Altered Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

B altered scale — 6-string guitar fretboard diagramInteractive fretboard diagram showing the B altered scale on 6-string guitar with 22 frets. Notes: D, D#, F, G, A, B, C.DD#FGABCDD#FGABABCDD#FGABCDD#FFGABCDD#FGABCDBCDD#FGABCDD#FGAGABCDD#FGABCDD#BCDD#FGABCDD#FGA1357911121315171921

B Altered in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The B Altered scale is the ultimate dominant scale in jazz. On Guitar, its notes are B, C, D, D#, F, G, A. 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: B, C, D, D#, F, G, A

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

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

Also known as: super locrian, diminished whole tone, pomeroy

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning