C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 7 positions Position 1 at frets 9-14
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 7 positions. Position 1 starts on the root, frets 9-14. The root C♯ is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string.
e|-------------------------------------------11-12-14-| B|----------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|--------------------------9-11-13-------------------| D|-----------------10-11-13---------------------------| A|---------9-11-13------------------------------------| E|-9-11-12--------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------12-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------11-13-14----------------------------| A|----------11-13-15-------------------------------------| E|-11-12-14----------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------2-4-6-| B|-------------------------2-4-5-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-------------| D|-------------1-2-4-------------------| A|-------1-3-4-------------------------| E|-0-2-4-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------4-6-8-| B|-------------------------4-5-7-------| G|-------------------3-5-6-------------| D|-------------2-4-6-------------------| A|-------3-4-6-------------------------| E|-2-4-6-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------6-8-9-| B|-------------------------5-7-9-------| G|-------------------5-6-8-------------| D|-------------4-6-8-------------------| A|-------4-6-7-------------------------| E|-4-6-8-------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------8-9-11-| B|--------------------------7-9-11--------| G|--------------------6-8-9---------------| D|-------------6-8-10---------------------| A|-------6-7-9----------------------------| E|-6-8-9----------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------9-11-12-| B|------------------------------9-11-13---------| G|-----------------------8-9-11-----------------| D|---------------8-10-11------------------------| A|--------7-9-11--------------------------------| E|-8-9-11---------------------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, C♯. 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: C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C♯ | 1 | Root | 0 | 9 |
| D♯ | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | 11 |
| E | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | 0 |
| F♯ | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 2 |
| G♯ | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 4 |
| A♯ | 6 | Major 6th | 9 | 6 |
| B♯ | 7 | Major 7th | 11 | 8 |
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: C♯ 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: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, then C♯ an octave higher. Its formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7.
Start with position 1, frets 9-14: the root C♯ 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 7 positions.
On the low E string at fret 9, on the A string at fret 4. 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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