For this blog, I would like to talk about applying the altered dominant scale over a dominant seventh chord in a minor chord progression. The altered dominant scale (sometimes referred to as super locrian) is the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale. It is a widely used favorite among jazz guitarist because of its eerie dissonant tension on the dominant chord creating a pleasant resolution to the tonic chord.

While mixolydian, diminished, Lydian dominant and the altered scale are all fairly common choices when playing over 7th chords in various situations, there is one scale that is often overlooked, but that can add a freshness to your lines and take your playing in new directions at the same time.

The following content is related to the April 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

Being assigned the ongoing mission of teaching a new crop of middle school students each year to play guitar on a beginner level in a group setting, I’ve had numerous opportunities to try various approaches to getting the kids to focus on learning to play the instrument without becoming bored or frustrated.