Melodic Minor scale on guitar

Melodic minor is a minor scale with a major sixth and seventh, smooth on the way up and the source of many jazz scales.

Play the A Melodic Minor scale on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale

About the Melodic Minor scale

Melodic minor is the major scale with a flat 3rd. Classical theory plays it this way going up and as natural minor coming down. Jazz players keep the same notes both ways.

Its modes give many jazz sounds: Lydian dominant, the altered scale and Locrian #2 all come from it.

Over a minor chord with a major 7th (mMaj7) or a minor 6th chord, it is the scale that fits.

Intervals from the root

Chords in the A Melodic Minor scale

Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each note. These chords sound at home with the scale, so they make good progressions.

Same notes, another starting note

Start the A Melodic Minor scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:

• From degree 2 (B): B Javanese scale
• From degree b3 (C): C Lydian Augmented scale
• From degree 4 (D): D Overtone scale
• From degree 5 (E): E Hindu scale
• From degree 6 (F#): F# Locrian #2 scale
• From degree 7 (G#): G# Diminished Whole Tone scale

Melodic Minor scale in every key

More Minor scales

• Natural Minor (Aeolian)
• Harmonic Minor
• Phrygian Mode
• Lydian Minor
• Locrian Mode
• Locrian with a Natural Fifth
• Harmonic Minor Bebop
• Harmonic Minor Bebop with a Raised Fourth
• Dorian Mode
• Minor Pentatonic
• Aeolian + Phrygian
• Aeolian + Dorian