F G A♭ B♭ C D E 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 positions Position 1 at frets 1-6
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 1-6. The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string.
e|-----------------------------0-1-3-4-| B|-------------------------1-3---------| G|-------------------0-1-3-------------| D|-------------0-2-3-------------------| A|---------1-3-------------------------| E|-0-1-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------3-4-6-| B|-------------------------3-5-6-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-------------| D|-------------2-3-5-------------------| A|-------1-3-5-------------------------| E|-1-3-4-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------4-6-8-| B|-------------------------5-6-8-------| G|-------------------3-5-7-------------| D|-------------3-5-6-------------------| A|-------3-5-7-------------------------| E|-3-4-6-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------6-8-10-| B|-------------------------6-8-9--------| G|-------------------5-7-9--------------| D|-------------5-6-8--------------------| A|-------5-7-8--------------------------| E|-4-6-8--------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|-----------------------------8-9-11---------| G|----------------------7-9-10----------------| D|---------------6-8-10-----------------------| A|--------7-8-10------------------------------| E|-6-8-10-------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|---------------------------------9-11-13----------| G|-------------------------9-10-12------------------| D|-----------------8-10-12--------------------------| A|---------8-10-11----------------------------------| E|-8-10-12------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------11-13-15----------| G|----------------------------10-12-13-------------------| D|-------------------10-12-14----------------------------| A|----------10-11-13-------------------------------------| E|-10-12-13----------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------13-15-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-15-17----------| G|----------------------------12-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------12-14-15----------------------------| A|----------11-13-15-------------------------------------| E|-12-13-15----------------------------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, F. 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: F G A♭ B♭ C D E. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | 1 | Root | 0 | 1 |
| G | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | 3 |
| A♭ | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | 4 |
| B♭ | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 6 |
| C | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 8 |
| D | 6 | Major 6th | 9 | 10 |
| E | 7 | Major 7th | 11 | 0 |
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: F 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: F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D, E, then F an octave higher. Its formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7.
Start with position 1, frets 1-6: the root F 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 1, on the A string at fret 8. 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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