A B C D E F♯ G♯ 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 positions Position 1 at frets 5-10
The melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th of the natural minor. Jazz players use it in both directions, and call it the jazz minor; classical music plays it up and returns to the natural minor going down. On the guitar it falls into 8 positions, including an open position near the nut. Position 1 starts on the root, frets 5-10. The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 and 12 on the A string.
e|-----------------------------0-2-4-| B|-----------------------0-1-3-------| G|-------------------1-2-------------| D|-------------0-2-4-----------------| A|-------0-2-3-----------------------| E|-0-2-4-----------------------------|
e|--------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-------------------------7-9-10--------| G|-------------------5-7-9---------------| D|-------------6-7-9---------------------| A|-------5-7-9---------------------------| E|-5-7-8---------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|-----------------------------9-10-12---------| G|----------------------7-9-11-----------------| D|---------------7-9-10------------------------| A|--------7-9-11-------------------------------| E|-7-8-10--------------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|---------------------------------10-12-13----------| G|-------------------------9-11-13-------------------| D|-----------------9-10-12---------------------------| A|---------9-11-12-----------------------------------| E|-8-10-12-------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------12-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------12-13-15----------| G|----------------------------11-13-14-------------------| D|-------------------10-12-14----------------------------| A|----------11-12-14-------------------------------------| E|-10-12-14----------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------14-16-17-| B|-------------------------------------13-15-17----------| G|----------------------------13-14-16-------------------| D|-------------------12-14-16----------------------------| A|----------12-14-15-------------------------------------| E|-12-14-16----------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------4-5-7-| B|-------------------------3-5-7-------| G|-------------------2-4-5-------------| D|-------------2-4-6-------------------| A|-------2-3-5-------------------------| E|-2-4-5-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------5-7-9-------| G|-------------------4-5-7-------------| D|-------------4-6-7-------------------| A|-------3-5-7-------------------------| E|-4-5-7-------------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, A. The tab under each diagram plays the position from its lowest note to its highest; play it back down the same way.
The positions above are slices of this map. They overlap: the highest notes of one are the lowest notes of the next, so once you know two neighbours you can slide from one to the other along a string.
7 notes: A B C D E F♯ G♯. In whole (W) and half (H) steps: W H W W W W H. The half steps are where the scale gets its colour.
| Note | Degree | Interval from the root | Half steps | Fret on the low E string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | Root | 0 | 5 |
| B | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | 7 |
| C | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | 8 |
| D | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 10 |
| E | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 0 |
| F♯ | 6 | Major 6th | 9 | 2 |
| G♯ | 7 | Major 7th | 11 | 4 |
Compare it with the major scale of the same root: only the 3rd differs. Use it over a minor chord with a major 6th or major 7th.
The natural minor has a minor 6th and minor 7th; the melodic minor raises both. Compare the two: A natural minor.
Set the tempo low, play each position up and down with the button above, then try it yourself at the same speed. Raise the tempo by 4 BPM only when it is clean.
Going up: A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, then A an octave higher. Its formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7.
Start with position 1, frets 5-10: the root A is under your finger 1 on the low E string. Play three notes on each string, from the low E to the high E, then back down. The diagrams and tabs on this page show all 8 positions.
On the low E string at fret 5, on the A string at fret 0 and 12. Those two root notes anchor most scale positions and barre chords.
The natural minor has a minor 6th and minor 7th; the melodic minor raises both.
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