Melodic Minor Scale on Guitar
The melodic minor scale is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7, steps W H W W W W H (2 1 2 2 2 2 1 frets on one string). It is the major scale with a ♭3: A melodic minor is A major with C instead of C♯.
Showing A melodic minor: A B C D E F♯ G♯
Scale on the fretboard
A melodic minor: A B C D E F♯ G♯ · Pattern 1 · frets 5–10 · starts on the root (A) on the 6th string
Tap a dot to hear it. Drone holds the root. Brightest dot = root. High e on top. Swipe for higher frets.
Formula of the melodic minor scale, in A
| Degree | Interval | Frets above root | Note in A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | 0 | A |
| 2 | major 2nd | 2 | B |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | 3 | C |
| 4 | perfect 4th | 5 | D |
| 5 | perfect 5th | 7 | E |
| 6 | major 6th | 9 | F♯ |
| 7 | major 7th | 11 | G♯ |
Use the melodic minor scale
- Chords in A minorthe chords of the key
How guitarists use melodic minor
Melodic minor raises both the 6th and the 7th of natural minor. The raised 7th leads up to the root, and the raised 6th removes the three-fret gap that harmonic minor has, so a line climbing to the root moves in even steps.
In classical theory the raised notes are used going up and the scale comes down as natural minor. In jazz the raised version is used in both directions and is often called jazz minor. The fretboard here shows that version.
Jazz players also use it as a parent scale: its 7th mode is the altered scale, played over dominant chords, and its 4th mode is Lydian dominant.
The seven patterns, in A melodic minor
Three notes per string, seven patterns. Because melodic minor is one note away from major, its patterns are near copies of the major ones.
| Pattern | Frets | Starts on (6th string) |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1 | 5–10 | A (1) at fret 5 |
| Pattern 2 | 7–12 | B (2) at fret 7 |
| Pattern 3 | 8–14 | C (♭3) at fret 8 |
| Pattern 4 | 10–16 | D (4) at fret 10 |
| Pattern 5 | 12–17 | E (5) at fret 12 |
| Pattern 6 | 2–7 (shown an octave lower, same shape as frets 14–19) | F♯ (6) at fret 2 |
| Pattern 7 | 3–9 (shown an octave lower, same shape as frets 15–21) | G♯ (7) at fret 4 |
Each pattern is the same-numbered pattern of A major with its 3rds moved one fret lower: 2 and 3 dots, depending on the pattern. Learn one set and you have the other.
Tap a number above the fretboard to show that pattern in any key. The CAGED system groups the same notes into five shapes around the open C, A, G, E and D chords: see CAGED system scales.
Chords from the A melodic minor scale
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get its seven triads.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Am | A C E |
| ii | Bm | B D F♯ |
| III+ | Caug | C E G♯ |
| IV | D | D F♯ A |
| V | E | E G♯ B |
| vi° | F♯dim | F♯ A C |
| vii° | G♯dim | G♯ B D |
The melodic minor scale in every key
| Root | Melodic minor |
|---|---|
| C | C D E♭ F G A B |
| C♯ | C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ |
| D | D E F G A B C♯ |
| E♭ | E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D |
| E | E F♯ G A B C♯ D♯ |
| F | F G A♭ B♭ C D E |
| F♯ | F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E♯ |
| G | G A B♭ C D E F♯ |
| A♭ | A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G |
| A | A B C D E F♯ G♯ |
| B♭ | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A |
| B | B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A♯ |
Related scales
- Natural minor scalemelodies and chords of minor keys
- Harmonic minor scalethe major V chord of a minor key, neoclassical and flamenco sounds
- Major scalethe scale every major key and its chords are built from
Keep practising
- All guitar scalesevery scale in one fretboard tool
- Keyschords and progressions in every key
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along
FAQ: melodic minor scale
Does melodic minor come down differently?
In classical use, yes: it descends as natural minor, so in A the G and F replace the G♯ and F♯. Jazz players keep the raised 6th and 7th in both directions.
How is melodic minor different from harmonic minor?
Harmonic minor raises only the 7th. Melodic minor raises the 6th as well, which removes the three-fret jump between the ♭6 and the 7.
How is melodic minor different from the major scale?
By one note. Melodic minor is the major scale on the same root with the 3rd lowered by a fret.