Melodic Minor Scale Guitar

Melodic minor is the smoothest of the minor scales — only a ♭3 away from the major scale, and without harmonic minor's exotic augmented second. Jazz musicians prize it above all other minor scales because it generates some of the most powerful and widely-used modes in improvisation.

Try it interactively

Start with natural minor on the interactive fretboard — melodic minor differs by having a raised 6th and 7th, making two of the notes one fret higher.

Open Natural Minor Scale

What Is the Melodic Minor Scale?

The melodic minor scale is natural minor with the 6th and 7th degrees both raised by a semitone. In A: natural minor is A B C D E F G; melodic minor is A B C D E F♯ G♯. Both notes move up one fret.

The result is a scale that is almost major — only the ♭3 (C natural vs. C♯) distinguishes it from A major. This minor-but-bright quality is exactly what makes it so versatile and sophisticated.

A Melodic Minor (Jazz Version)

Notes: A — B — C — D — E — F♯ — G♯
Intervals: Root — 2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7
Semitones from root: 0 — 2 — 3 — 5 — 7 — 9 — 11
vs. Natural Minor: F→F♯ (6th) and G→G♯ (7th) both raised

ARoot (1)

C♭3

F♯6 ★

G♯7 ★

Three Minor Scales Compared

Scale	6th Degree	7th Degree	Character
Natural Minor	♭6 (F in Am)	♭7 (G in Am)	Dark, familiar, rock/classical
Harmonic Minor	♭6 (F in Am)	7 (G♯ in Am)	Exotic, dramatic, neoclassical
Melodic Minor	6 (F♯ in Am) ★	7 (G♯ in Am) ★	Smooth, sophisticated, jazz

Melodic minor's raised 6th is what distinguishes it from harmonic minor. By raising the ♭6 to a natural 6, the awkward augmented second (F→G♯) is eliminated. The scale flows smoothly — perfect for fast melodic lines and lyrical jazz playing.

Melodic Minor Modes in Jazz

Melodic minor is the parent scale of several essential jazz modes, each used over specific chord types:

Mode	Degree	Used Over	Sound
Melodic Minor	1st	mΔ7 (minor-major 7th)	Dark but smooth and sophisticated
Lydian Dominant	4th	7♯11 (dominant with ♯4)	Tense floating — jazz fusion
Locrian ♮2	6th	ø7 (half-diminished)	Dark with a natural 2nd — more usable than Locrian
Altered / Super Locrian	7th	7alt (altered dominant)	Maximum tension over V7 chords

The Altered Scale (mode 7) and Lydian Dominant (mode 4) are the most frequently used in jazz solos. Both are directly derived from melodic minor — understanding melodic minor is the key to unlocking them.

Common Genres

Genre	How Melodic Minor Is Used
Jazz	Over minor-major 7th chords; melodic minor modes (Lydian Dominant, Altered) over dominant chords
Bossa Nova	mΔ7 voicings appear throughout Brazilian jazz — the minor-major 7th chord is a bossa staple
Fusion	Melodic minor and its modes used freely over complex chord changes by Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans
Classical	Ascending form used in melodic writing to avoid the augmented second in vocal lines (original purpose)

The Minor-Major 7th Chord

The natural chord built on the root of melodic minor is the minor-major 7th (mΔ7). In A: Am(maj7) = A C E G♯. This chord appears unusual at first — a minor quality combined with the brightness of a major 7th — but once heard in context it has a distinctive cool, introspective quality.

Am(maj7) — The Melodic Minor Chord

Notes: A — C — E — G♯
Intervals: Root — ♭3 — 5 — 7
The G♯ (major 7th) over an Am chord. Heard in "My Funny Valentine", James Bond themes, and jazz standards.

Practice Tips

Approaching Melodic Minor on Guitar

Start from natural minor: Learn A natural minor, then raise two notes — F→F♯ and G→G♯. The shape difference is just two frets moved up one position.
Play over mΔ7 chords: Arpeggiate Am(maj7) and then connect the remaining scale tones. The contrast between C (♭3) and G♯ (7) in the same scale is the essence of melodic minor's character.
Study Lydian Dominant: Play A melodic minor but treat D as the root — you are now playing D Lydian Dominant (D E F♯ G♯ A B C), one of the most-used jazz scales over D7♯11.
Listen to Bill Evans: "My Foolish Heart", "Peace Piece", and "Waltz for Debby" are steeped in minor-major 7th harmony. Transcribing melodic lines from jazz piano is one of the fastest routes to internalising melodic minor on guitar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between classical and jazz melodic minor?

In classical tradition, melodic minor ascends with raised 6th and 7th (to avoid the awkward augmented second of harmonic minor), then descends as natural minor. Jazz musicians use the ascending form in both directions — up and down — and treat it as a single, consistent scale. When guitarists or jazz players talk about 'melodic minor', they almost always mean the jazz version: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 in both directions.

How does melodic minor differ from harmonic minor?

Harmonic minor raises only the 7th (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7), creating the augmented second between ♭6 and 7. Melodic minor raises both the 6th and the 7th (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7), eliminating the augmented second. Melodic minor is smoother melodically; harmonic minor is more dramatic and exotic.

Why is melodic minor important in jazz?

Melodic minor is the parent scale of several essential jazz modes: Lydian Dominant (mode 4), the Altered Scale or Super Locrian (mode 7), and the Half-Diminished / Locrian ♮2 (mode 6). These modes are staples of jazz improvisation over altered dominant, minor-major, and half-diminished chords. Understanding melodic minor unlocks a large part of the jazz harmonic language.

What chords does melodic minor work over?

Melodic minor works directly over the minor-major 7th chord (mΔ7) — a minor chord with a major 7th. In A: Am(maj7) = A C E G♯. This unusual chord is the natural 1-3-5-7 of A melodic minor. It appears in bossa nova, jazz ballads, and sophisticated chord progressions. Jazz players also use modes derived from melodic minor over many other chord types.

How is the melodic minor scale related to the major scale?

Melodic minor has only one note different from the major scale: the ♭3 (minor third instead of major third). In A: A major is A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯; A melodic minor is A B C D E F♯ G♯. That lowered 3rd changes the mood from bright major to a minor quality with a sophisticated, smooth flavour.