C♯
D
E
F
G
A
B
C♯
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C♯ / D♭ Altered
1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – ♭4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – ♭7
ABOUT THIS SCALE
The seventh mode of melodic minor. A tense jazz scale designed for altered dominant chords.
GUITAR FRETBOARD
C♯ / D♭ Altered
Standard tuning — E A D G B E — open through fret 24.
Scale note
Root
Click any note to hear it.
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Playback:
The scale follows a practical two-octave route across nearby
strings and frets. The note currently sounding turns bright white.
JAM OVER THIS
Key of C♯ / D♭
Chord progression ideas
Altered Dominant Resolution
V7alt → i
C♯7alt
→
F♯m
The altered scale is most often used over a dominant chord resolving up a perfect fourth to a minor tonic.
Major Resolution
V7alt → Imaj7
C♯7alt
→
F♯maj7
The same altered dominant tension can resolve into a major tonic, a very common jazz application.