Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Scale

F Melodic Minor Scale

Smooth, bittersweet and sophisticated. It sounds minor at the bottom and major at the top, with no augmented second to break the flow.

7 notes
2 ♭
minor scale

1Composition: what it contains

F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Steps: W – H – W – W – W – W – H
Number of notes: 7
Sharps and flats: 2 ♭
Also called: jazz minor, ascending melodic minor, Ionian ♭3

Degree	Note	Interval	Semitones	Function
1	F	unison	0	tonic
2	G	major second	2	supertonic
♭3	A♭	minor third	3	mediant
4	B♭	perfect fourth	5	subdominant
5	C	perfect fifth	7	dominant
6	D	major sixth	9	submediant
7	E	major seventh	11	leading tone

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

Treble clef

Bass clef

Piano keyboard

Guitar (standard tuning E A D G B E)

Bass guitar (E A D G)

Ukulele (G C E A)

Tip: click any note, key or fret to hear it. Orange = root.

3Indications: what it is used for

In classical music it is used ascending with raised sixth and seventh, and usually descends as natural minor. In jazz the same ascending form is used in both directions ('jazz minor') over minor-major seventh chords, minor sixth chords and tonic minor chords in a minor ii–V–i. Its modes generate the altered scale, the Lydian dominant and the Locrian ♮2, so it is the parent scale of much modern jazz harmony. It also suits film music and fusion lines that need a refined, ambiguous minor colour.

4Dosage: how to practise it

Ten to fifteen minutes daily. First play the classical form (up raised, down natural) at 60 BPM to learn the difference, then practise the jazz form at 80–120 BPM in eighth notes. Run it in diatonic thirds and in four-note arpeggios from each degree (mMaj7, m7, maj7♯5, 7♯11, 7, m7♭5, m7♭5). On guitar, learn three-notes-per-string fingerings across the neck. On piano, practise both forms hands separately, then hands together, and improvise over a minor-major seventh chord drone.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Always clarify which form a book or teacher means: classical melodic minor descends differently from jazz minor. Do not confuse it with Dorian; they differ only in the seventh degree (major in melodic minor, minor in Dorian). Over a minor seventh chord that functions as ii, the major seventh of this scale clashes; it works best on tonic minor chords. In the classical form, do not use the raised sixth and seventh when the line descends.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Chords of the scale (triads)

Degree	Chord	Notes
i	Fm	F – A♭ – C
ii	Gm	G – B♭ – D
III+	A♭aug	A♭ – C – E
IV	B♭	B♭ – D – F
V	C	C – E – G
vi°	Ddim	D – F – A♭
vii°	Edim	E – G – B♭

Chords of the scale (seventh chords)

Degree	Chord	Notes
i(maj7)	Fm(maj7)	F – A♭ – C – E
ii7	Gm7	G – B♭ – D – F
III+maj7	A♭+maj7	A♭ – C – E – G
IV7	B♭7	B♭ – D – F – A♭
V7	C7	C – E – G – B♭
viø7	Dm7♭5	D – F – A♭ – C
viiø7	Em7♭5	E – G – B♭ – D

Same notes, different starting point

Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.

F Melodic Minor Scale

1Composition: what it contains

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

3Indications: what it is used for

4Dosage: how to practise it

5Warnings and common mistakes

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Chords of the scale (triads)

Chords of the scale (seventh chords)

Same notes, different starting point

7Other presentations available

The same scale from every note

Other scales from the same note