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