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