Piano scales

Scales source and guide for musicians

Super Locrian Scales

The Super Locrian, also known as the Dominant Altered Scale, is built on the Locrian Mode and is particularly used in modern jazz and fusion. The scale is also identical to the seventh mode of the Melodic Minor (e.g. G# Super Locrian is identical to A Melodic Minor). The scale is typically used together with altered dominant seventh chords, such as 7b9 and 7#9, as well as chord with two altered notes, such as 7#9,#5.

Super Locrian is sometimes just called Altered Scale (but it is not a great name since there are more altered scales), while five of seven notes have been altered in comparison to the normal notes in the major keys. The scale includes a minor seventh, which is characteristic for seventh dominant chords. It also has both diminished and augmented fifths. The scale actually consists of tones that can be found in every possible altered dominant chord, which is reflected by the peculiar construction: root, flat nine, sharp nine, third, flat five (#11), sharp five (b13), seventh.

Super Locrian Scales overview
C: C, Db, D#, E, Gb, Ab, Bb (C, Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, C)
C#/Db: C#, D, E, F, G, A, B, C# / Db, D, E, F, G, A, B, Db
D: D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D
D#/Eb: D#, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D# / Eb, E, Gb, G, A, B, Db, Eb (Eb, Fb, Gb, Abb, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb)
E: E, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E
F: F, Gb, G#, A, B, C#, D#, F (F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, Cb, Db, Eb, F)
F#/Gb: F#, G, A, A#, C, D, E, F# (F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#) / Gb, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, Gb
G: G, Ab, A#, B, Db, D#, F, G (G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, G)
G#/Ab: G#, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G# / Ab, A, B, C, D, E, Gb, Ab (Ab, Bbb, Cb, Dbb, Ebb, Fb, Gb, Ab)
A: A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, A
A#/Bb: A#, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A# / Bb, B, Db, D, E, Gb, Ab, Bb (Bb, Cb, Db, Ebb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb)
B: B, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B

Intervals: 1, b2, #2, 3, b5, #5, b7
Semitones: 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2
Formula: Half, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Whole