The melodic minor scale on the guitar in the key of C♯
The Melodic Minor scale is unique in that it differs when ascending and descending. Ascending, it has a brighter, more hopeful sound, while descending, it reverts to the darker tones of the Natural Minor scale. This duality makes it a versatile tool for composers looking to add complexity and nuance to their music.
This scale is often used in jazz and classical music, where its distinctive sound can add a sophisticated and modern touch. Jazz musicians, in particular, appreciate the Melodic Minor scale for its ability to create interesting and unexpected melodic lines. It's also used in film scores to evoke a sense of tension and resolution.
Harmonically, the Melodic Minor scale allows for the creation of unique chord progressions that aren't possible with the Natural Major or Minor scales. These progressions can add a fresh and innovative feel to a piece, making it stand out. Whether you're exploring new musical territories or adding depth to a composition, the Melodic Minor scale is an invaluable resource.
Switch between chromatic/diatonic/notes below to see/learn the relations between them. For convenience, the root note (C♯) is highlighted in red.
The melodic minor scale explained for guitar players
Once you learned about Intervals you are ready to learn the scales. Scales are a selection of the 12 notes from the "chromatic" scale (which is just a fancy name for all the 12 notes). Scales are constructed with stepped intervals.
The relative steps of the melodic minor scale are: w-h-w-w-w-w-h (w=whole step, h=half step).
Let's explore how that exactly works:
melodic minor scale in chromatic intervals
To explain the the melodic minor scale best, take a look at the piano. Especially to the highlighted notes. Those are the notes in the melodic minor scale. Here is how it looks on piano:
Notice the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
melodic minor scale in diatonic intervals
If we would re-number the red highlighted notes from previous section, we get the melodic minor scale , which looks like this on piano:
Notice again the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
Musical step names
The steps (also known as conjunct motion) of a diatonic scale are known by these names:- 1st – Tonic (key or root note)
- 2nd – Supertonic
- 3rd – Mediant
- 4th – Subdominant
- 5th – Dominant
- 6th – Submediant
- 7th – Leading tone
- 8th – Tonic (Octave)
What is the scale degree of melodic minor scale?
The scale degree tells how the scale is transformed.
The relative steps of the melodic minor scale are: w-h-w-w-w-w-h
The diatonic interval 3♭ is flat, hence the ♭ sign. Flat means to go down a half step. On piano that's one key down, on a guitar that's one fret down.
If you scroll back to the piano above, you'll notice the black keys correspond to this.
What does diatonic mean?
The term "diatonic" refers to a scale that uses a mix of whole steps and half steps. When we say "diatonic," we mean notes that belong to the scale. For example, if you're playing in the key of C♯ major and using C♯ major notes, those notes are diatonic.
In the piano example above, you saw that only the notes from the scale are used. This means they only include notes "of the scale." Knowing about diatonic notes is important for understanding music theory and making melodies that sound good.
Using diatonic notes helps musicians keep their music in key, making it sound smooth and pleasant. Understanding diatonic notes will improve your musical skills and creativity.
| Scale name | Interval | Degree | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major scale | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-w-h-w-w-w-h |
| Minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7 | w-h-w-w-h-w-w |
| Melodic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-h-w-w-w-w-h |
| Harmonic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7 | w-h-w-w-h-wh-h |
| Minor blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Major blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Minor pentatonic scale | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-w-wh-w |
| Major pentatonic scale | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | w-w-wh-w-wh |
| Overview of more scales | |||
- Musical Scale Degree
- ♭=half step down, ♯=half step up, ♯♯=whole step up
- Musical Steps
- w=whole step, h=half step, wh=whole and half step
As you might notice, the scales have 7 notes, except for the blues and pentatonic scales.