Piano scales · Melodic minor
Melodic minor scale
The minor scale that changes direction: the 6th and 7th go up a half step on the way up, and come back down on the way down. Press Play to hear both halves.
Jam: start the loop, then play the computer keys A S D F G H J K L: each one is the next note of the scale, so nothing you play is wrong. Or click the lit keys.Jam: start the loop and tap the lit keys. They’re all in the scale, so nothing you play is wrong.
Going up: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
A melodic minor, going up, is A B C D E F♯ G♯. Only the ♭3 makes it minor: from the 5th up it's the same as A major. The two raised notes are lit in the tool.
Coming down: the natural minor
Coming down, classical music lowers the 6th and 7th again and plays the natural minor: A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A. Why? Going up, the raised notes lead smoothly into the top A, without the awkward step and a half of the harmonic minor. Coming down they'd make the scale sound major, so they drop back.
The jazz melodic minor
Jazz musicians keep the raised notes both ways, and call it simply “melodic minor” or “jazz minor”. Its modes are some of jazz's most-used colours: the 4th mode is the Lydian dominant, and the 7th is the altered scale, the sound over a V7 chord about to resolve.
The melodic minor in every key
Going up. Coming down, play the natural minor of the same key.
| Scale | Notes | Coming down |
|---|---|---|
| C melodic minor | C – D – E♭ – F – G – A – B | C – B♭ – A♭ – G – F – E♭ – D – C |
| C♯ melodic minor | C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B♯ | C♯ – B – A – G♯ – F♯ – E – D♯ – C♯ |
| D melodic minor | D – E – F – G – A – B – C♯ | D – C – B♭ – A – G – F – E – D |
| E♭ melodic minor | E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D | E♭ – D♭ – C♭ – B♭ – A♭ – G♭ – F – E♭ |
| E melodic minor | E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D♯ | E – D – C – B – A – G – F♯ – E |
| F melodic minor | F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E | F – E♭ – D♭ – C – B♭ – A♭ – G – F |
| F♯ melodic minor | F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ | F♯ – E – D – C♯ – B – A – G♯ – F♯ |
| G melodic minor | G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F♯ | G – F – E♭ – D – C – B♭ – A – G |
| G♯ melodic minor | G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F𝄪 | G♯ – F♯ – E – D♯ – C♯ – B – A♯ – G♯ |
| A melodic minor | A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G♯ | A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A |
| B♭ melodic minor | B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A | B♭ – A♭ – G♭ – F – E♭ – D♭ – C – B♭ |
| B melodic minor | B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ | B – A – G – F♯ – E – D – C♯ – B |
Is your scale even? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a note that comes early or loud. Then it shows you how it should go.
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Questions people ask
What are the notes of the A melodic minor scale?
Going up: A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯. Coming down, classical music uses the natural minor: A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A.
Why is the melodic minor different going up and down?
Going up, the raised 6th and 7th lead smoothly into the top note, without the harmonic minor's wide leap. Coming down there's nothing to lead into, so the notes fall back to the natural minor, which sounds more minor.
What is the formula for the melodic minor scale?
Going up: 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7, a major scale with a minor 3rd. Coming down (classical): ♭7, ♭6, 5, 4, ♭3, 2, 1.
What is the jazz melodic minor?
Jazz musicians use the ascending form in both directions, and build chords and modes on it: the altered scale and the Lydian dominant are both modes of the melodic minor.
Melodic minor or harmonic minor: which should I learn first?
The harmonic minor: it's the one behind the chords of a minor key. Then the melodic minor, which most graded exam syllabuses ask for alongside it.