E Altered Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
E Altered Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: E, G#, D, F
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 7m, 9m
Formula: 2W-6-WH
Number of notes: 4
Also known as: alt7
The E Altered arpeggio contains 4 notes (E, G#, D, F). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the E Altered Arpeggio
Play the E Altered arpeggio whenever a E Altered chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The E Altered arpeggio uses 4 notes (E, G#, D, F) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play E Altered Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find E around fret 4 and play through the arpeggio tones (E, G#, D, F). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 4 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The E Altered arpeggio outlines a EAltered chord. Playing these 4 tones (E, G#, D, F) over the matching harmony ensures your melodic lines clearly follow the chord changes.
Practice Routine
Play the E Altered arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on E. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 4 notes (E, G#, D, F). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Ukulele Tips
On ukulele, integrate the E Altered arpeggio into your fingerpicking by plucking through the chord shape one note at a time. This transforms a static strum into a melodic, harp-like texture that showcases each interval clearly.