D Altered Timple Canario Scale
Timple Canario scale — fretboard diagram
D Altered Scale — Notes and Intervals
The D Altered scale is the ultimate dominant scale in jazz. On Timple Canario, 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 Timple Canario
Begin by locating D on your instrument and play through the 7 notes of the Altered scale slowly, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing speed.
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.
Timple Canario Tips
Practice the D Altered scale slowly and evenly on your instrument, focusing on tone quality for each of the 7 notes before building speed.
The D Altered scale contains 7 notes (D, Eb, F, F#, G#, Bb, C). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Timple Canario with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for D Altered
The D Altered scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.