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Music Theory

Melodic Minor Scales

The melodic minor scale is built from the natural minor scale by raising the sixth and seventh degrees by a half step (UK: semitone) when the scale goes up. When it goes down, those two degrees return to their natural minor values. This double behavior smooths out the augmented second that the harmonic minor scale creates.

Why does the melodic minor scale exist?

It helps to start with the problem it solves. The natural minor scale has a lowered seventh degree (G♮ in A minor), which weakens the pull toward the tonic. The harmonic minor scale fixes this by raising the seventh degree (G♯), which creates a leading tone (UK: leading note) that resolves up to A. But that change causes a new problem: between the sixth degree (F) and the raised seventh (G♯) there are three half steps. This interval is an augmented second, and it is awkward to sing.

The solution is to raise the sixth degree as well when going up (F → F♯). Now F♯ to G♯ is an ordinary whole step (UK: tone), and the melody rises smoothly. When going down, the leading tone is no longer needed, because the melody is moving away from the tonic. Both degrees go back to their natural values.

The three minor scales compared

DegreeA natural minorA harmonic minorA melodic minor (ascending)
1AAA
2BBB
3CCC
4DDD
5EEE
6FFF♯
7GG♯G♯
8AAA

The ascending melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th degrees. The descending melodic minor is identical to the natural minor.

Interval pattern

The distances between degrees (W = whole step, H = half step) are different going up and going down. Each column names the same pair of neighboring degrees in both rows; in the descending row the notes are simply played in the opposite order:

Direction1–22–33–44–55–66–77–8
AscendingWHWWWWH
DescendingWHWWHWW

Start from the natural minor scale:

A natural minor, with no accidentals: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. Between one note and the next: whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step.

Raise the sixth and seventh notes by a half step and you get the ascending melodic minor scale:

A melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A; descending: G♮, F♮, E, D, C, B, A. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: F♯, G♯, G♮, F♮.

On the staves of this page the raised notes are marked in red to make them easy to spot. In exercises you do not need to mark them.

Move this pattern to any tonic and you get the melodic minor scale of that note.

The scales are shown in two equivalent forms: with the accidentals written inside the scale, and with a key signature. Which one you need depends on the exercise.

All 15 melodic minor scales (ascending form)

In the descending form, the sixth and seventh degrees return to the values of the natural minor scale.

Scale123456↑7↑Key signature + accidentals
A melodic minorABCDEF♯G♯+ F♯, G♯
E melodic minorEF♯GABC♯D♯1♯ + C♯, D♯
B melodic minorBC♯DEF♯G♯A♯2♯ + G♯, A♯
F♯ melodic minorF♯G♯ABC♯D♯E♯3♯ + D♯, E♯
C♯ melodic minorC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯B♯4♯ + A♯, B♯
G♯ melodic minorG♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F double sharp5♯ + E♯, F double sharp
D♯ melodic minorD♯E♯F♯G♯A♯B♯C double sharp6♯ + B♯, C double sharp
A♯ melodic minorA♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F double sharpG double sharp7♯ + F double sharp, G𝄪
D melodic minorDEFGAB♮C♯1♭ + B♮, C♯
G melodic minorGAB♭CDE♮F♯2♭ + E♮, F♯
C melodic minorCDE♭FGA♮B♮3♭ + A♮, B♮
F melodic minorFGA♭B♭CD♮E♮4♭ + D♮, E♮
B♭ melodic minorB♭CD♭E♭FG♮A♮5♭ + G♮, A♮
E♭ melodic minorE♭FG♭A♭B♭C♮D♮6♭ + C♮, D♮
A♭ melodic minorA♭B♭C♭D♭E♭F♮G♮7♭ + F♮, G♮

Accidentals written inside the scale

Melodic minor scales with sharps

E melodic minor

E melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D♯, E; descending: E, D♮, C♮, B, A, G, F♯, E. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: C♯, D♯, D♮, C♮.

B melodic minor

B melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B; descending: B, A♮, G♮, F♯, E, D, C♯, B. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: G♯, A♯, A♮, G♮.

F♯ melodic minor

F♯ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯; descending: F♯, E♮, D♮, C♯, B, A, G♯, F♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: D♯, E♯, E♮, D♮.

C♯ melodic minor

C♯ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯; descending: C♯, B♮, A♮, G♯, F♯, E, D♯, C♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: A♯, B♯, B♮, A♮.

G♯ melodic minor

G♯ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F𝄪, G♯; descending: G♯, F♯, E♮, D♯, C♯, B, A♯, G♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: E♯, F𝄪, F♯, E♮.

D♯ melodic minor

D♯ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C𝄪, D♯; descending: D♯, C♯, B♮, A♯, G♯, F♯, E♯, D♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: B♯, C𝄪, C♯, B♮.

A♯ melodic minor

A♯ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F𝄪, G𝄪, A♯; descending: A♯, G♯, F♯, E♯, D♯, C♯, B♯, A♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: F𝄪, G𝄪, G♯, F♯.

Melodic minor scales with flats

D melodic minor

D melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: D, E, F, G, A, B♮, C♯, D; descending: D, C♮, B♭, A, G, F, E, D. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: B♮, C♯, C♮, B♭.

G melodic minor

G melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: G, A, B♭, C, D, E♮, F♯, G; descending: G, F♮, E♭, D, C, B♭, A, G. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: E♮, F♯, F♮, E♭.

C melodic minor

C melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♮, B♮, C; descending: C, B♭, A♭, G, F, E♭, D, C. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: A♮, B♮, B♭, A♭.

F melodic minor

F melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D♮, E♮, F; descending: F, E♭, D♭, C, B♭, A♭, G, F. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: D♮, E♮, E♭, D♭.

B♭ melodic minor

B♭ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♮, A♮, B♭; descending: B♭, A♭, G♭, F, E♭, D♭, C, B♭. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: G♮, A♮, A♭, G♭.

E♭ melodic minor

E♭ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♮, D♮, E♭; descending: E♭, D♭, C♭, B♭, A♭, G♭, F, E♭. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: C♮, D♮, D♭, C♭.

A♭ melodic minor

A♭ melodic minor, with the accidentals written next to each note: ascending: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♮, G♮, A♭; descending: A♭, G♭, F♭, E♭, D♭, C♭, B♭, A♭. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: F♮, G♮, G♭, F♭.

Accidentals in the key signature

Melodic minor scales with sharps

E melodic minor

E melodic minor with a key signature of 1 sharp: ascending: E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D♯, E; descending: E, D♮, C♮, B, A, G, F♯, E. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: C♯, D♯, D♮, C♮.

B melodic minor

B melodic minor with a key signature of 2 sharps: ascending: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B; descending: B, A♮, G♮, F♯, E, D, C♯, B. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: G♯, A♯, A♮, G♮.

F♯ melodic minor

F♯ melodic minor with a key signature of 3 sharps: ascending: F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯; descending: F♯, E♮, D♮, C♯, B, A, G♯, F♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: D♯, E♯, E♮, D♮.

C♯ melodic minor

C♯ melodic minor with a key signature of 4 sharps: ascending: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯; descending: C♯, B♮, A♮, G♯, F♯, E, D♯, C♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: A♯, B♯, B♮, A♮.

G♯ melodic minor

G♯ melodic minor with a key signature of 5 sharps: ascending: G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F𝄪, G♯; descending: G♯, F♯, E♮, D♯, C♯, B, A♯, G♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: E♯, F𝄪, F♯, E♮.

D♯ melodic minor

D♯ melodic minor with a key signature of 6 sharps: ascending: D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C𝄪, D♯; descending: D♯, C♯, B♮, A♯, G♯, F♯, E♯, D♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: B♯, C𝄪, C♯, B♮.

A♯ melodic minor

A♯ melodic minor with a key signature of 7 sharps: ascending: A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, F𝄪, G𝄪, A♯; descending: A♯, G♯, F♯, E♯, D♯, C♯, B♯, A♯. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: F𝄪, G𝄪, G♯, F♯.

Melodic minor scales with flats

D melodic minor

D melodic minor with a key signature of 1 flat: ascending: D, E, F, G, A, B♮, C♯, D; descending: D, C♮, B♭, A, G, F, E, D. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: B♮, C♯, C♮, B♭.

G melodic minor

G melodic minor with a key signature of 2 flats: ascending: G, A, B♭, C, D, E♮, F♯, G; descending: G, F♮, E♭, D, C, B♭, A, G. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: E♮, F♯, F♮, E♭.

C melodic minor

C melodic minor with a key signature of 3 flats: ascending: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♮, B♮, C; descending: C, B♭, A♭, G, F, E♭, D, C. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: A♮, B♮, B♭, A♭.

F melodic minor

F melodic minor with a key signature of 4 flats: ascending: F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D♮, E♮, F; descending: F, E♭, D♭, C, B♭, A♭, G, F. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: D♮, E♮, E♭, D♭.

B♭ melodic minor

B♭ melodic minor with a key signature of 5 flats: ascending: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♮, A♮, B♭; descending: B♭, A♭, G♭, F, E♭, D♭, C, B♭. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: G♮, A♮, A♭, G♭.

E♭ melodic minor

E♭ melodic minor with a key signature of 6 flats: ascending: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♮, D♮, E♭; descending: E♭, D♭, C♭, B♭, A♭, G♭, F, E♭. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: C♮, D♮, D♭, C♭.

A♭ melodic minor

A♭ melodic minor with a key signature of 7 flats: ascending: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♮, G♮, A♭; descending: A♭, G♭, F♭, E♭, D♭, C♭, B♭, A♭. In red, the notes that change from the natural minor scale: F♮, G♮, G♭, F♭.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a melodic minor scale?
The melodic minor scale is a variant of the natural minor scale in which the sixth and seventh degrees are raised by a half step when going up. Going down, the original natural minor degrees come back. This two-way form smooths out the augmented second of the harmonic minor scale.
How is the melodic minor scale different from the harmonic minor?
The harmonic minor raises only the seventh degree, which creates an augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees. The melodic minor also raises the sixth degree when going up, which removes that leap and makes the melody flow. Going down, the melodic minor returns to the natural minor degrees, while the harmonic minor keeps the raised seventh in both directions.
Why does the melodic minor scale change when it goes down?
Going down, the pull of the leading tone toward the tonic is no longer needed, because the melody is moving away from the tonic. So the natural degrees come back, and they sound smoother in a descending line.
What are the notes of the A melodic minor scale?
Ascending, A melodic minor has the notes A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A. Descending, it returns to the natural minor: A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A.
Is the melodic minor scale the same in jazz and in classical music?
No. In classical theory the ascending and descending forms are different. In jazz, the ascending form is used in both directions (the jazz melodic minor). It is the same as a major scale with a lowered third degree.