G♯ altered (G# altered) scale on alto sax
G♯ altered has 7 notes: G♯ A B C D E F♯. Degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 ♭4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7. Formula: H W H W W W W.
What notes are in the G♯ altered scale?
G♯, A, B, C, D, E and F♯. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is H W H W W W W.
What does G♯ altered sound like, and when do you use it?
Maximum tension: it holds every altered tension of a dominant chord. Use it over 7alt (7♯9, 7♭13) right before resolving.
Chords in G♯ altered
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i° | G♯° | G♯m7♭5 |
| ♭ii | Am | Am(maj7) |
| ♭iii | Bm | Bm7 |
| ♭IV+ | C+ | Cmaj7♯5 |
| ♭V | D | D7 |
| ♭VI | E | E7 |
| ♭vii° | F♯° | F♯m7♭5 |
Chord progressions to improvise with G♯ altered
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the staff lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in G♯:
- Altered vamp (I7alt): a G♯7alt vamp. A 7alt: ♭9, ♯9, ♯11 and ♭13, every tension at once.
- Resolution (I7alt–IVmaj7): G♯7alt | C♯maj7. Tension in the first bar, arrival in the second: C♯maj7 is outside the scale, so land on its highlighted notes.
G♯ altered on alto sax: written notes and fingerings
The alto sax is a E♭ instrument: written G♯ altered sounds B altered in concert pitch. Fingering for each note, from low to high (left hand | right hand):
- G♯: 123 | – + G♯
- A: 12 | –
- B: 1 | –
- C: 2 | –
- D: 123 | 123 + octave key
- E: 123 | 12 + octave key
- F♯: 123 | 2 + octave key
- G♯: 123 | – + octave key + G♯
Same notes as
A melodic minor (ascending) · A melodic minor · C Lydian augmented · D Lydian dominant · E Mixolydian ♭6 · F♯ Locrian ♮2
Altered in other keys
On other instruments
G♯ altered on piano · G♯ altered on guitar · G♯ altered on bass · G♯ altered on ukulele · G♯ altered on mandolin · G♯ altered on banjo · G♯ altered on violin · G♯ altered on viola · G♯ altered on cello · G♯ altered on tenor sax · G♯ altered on trumpet · G♯ altered on flute · All scales