Melodic Minor scale · 7 notes
A melodic minor scale on guitar
The A melodic minor scale has 7 notes: A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G♯. A major scale with a ♭3: the jazz musician’s minor scale.
Notes
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F♯
- G♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – W – H
Sound
Smooth, sophisticated and bittersweet
A melodic minor on the whole fretboard
Every A melodic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A at fret 5. 4th position: frets 4–8.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A melodic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A, the A melodic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 2 sharps (F♯ and G♯). Compared with A major, it has C (♭3) instead of C♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | 0 |
| 2 | B | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | C | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | D | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | F♯ | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | G♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in A melodic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to A melodic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in A melodic minor.
- iAmA · C · EAm(maj7)
- iiBmB · D · F♯Bm7
- ♭III+C+C · E · G♯C+maj7
- IVDD · F♯ · AD7
- VEE · G♯ · BE7
- vi°F♯°F♯ · A · CF♯m7♭5
- vii°G♯°G♯ · B · DG♯m7♭5
Progressions to try
- Am – D i–IV · minor with a major IV
- Bm – E – Am ii–V–i
- Am – E i–V
How to use A melodic minor
Reach for it over minor 6th and minor(maj7) chords, jazz, fusion and modern film music. Its sound is smooth, sophisticated and bittersweet.
Tip: Think of it as the major scale with one note changed. C melodic minor is C major with E♭ instead of E.
Where to find A on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 5 |
| B (2nd) | 10 |
| G (3rd) | 2 |
| D (4th) | 7 |
| A (5th) | 0, 12 |
| Low E (6th) | 5 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A melodic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A melodic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the A melodic minor scale?
The A melodic minor scale has 7 notes: A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. It contains 2 sharps (F♯ and G♯).
What chords are in A melodic minor?
Harmonising the A melodic minor scale in thirds gives Am (i), Bm (ii), C+ (♭III+), D (IV), E (V), F♯° (vi°) and G♯° (vii°).
Where do you play the A melodic minor scale on guitar?
The root, A, is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 and 12 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 4–8, starting from the root on the 6th string.