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In music, an altered scale is a scale in which all of the notes of the scale except the tonic have been flattened (lowered in pitch) by an interval of a half step from a major scale. For example, while the C major scale consists of the notes
C D E F G A B C
C_major_scale.PNG
C major scale
the C altered scale consists of the notes
C D-flat E-flat E G-flat A-flat B-flat C
C_altered_scale_flats.PNG
C altered scale with flats
Another way to create an altered scale is to sharpen (raise in pitch) the tonic of a major scale by a half step; for example, when we sharpen the tonic of the B major scale, which has the notes
B C-sharp D-sharp E F-sharp G-sharp A-sharp B
B_altered_scale_sharps.PNG
B altered scale with sharps
we get the C altered scale
C C-sharp D-sharp E F-sharp G-sharp A-sharp C
C_altered_scale_sharps.PNG
C altered scale with sharps
the notes of which are enharmonic (identical, in the equal temperament system) with the notes of the C altered scale as it was first described on this page.
Another way to look at the altered scale is that it is identical to the seventh musical mode of the ascending melodic minor scale.
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