Melodic Minor scale · 7 notes
C melodic minor scale on guitar
The C melodic minor scale has 7 notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A and B. A major scale with a ♭3: the jazz musician’s minor scale.
Notes
- C
- D
- E♭
- F
- G
- A
- B
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – W – H
Sound
Smooth, sophisticated and bittersweet
C melodic minor on the whole fretboard
Every C melodic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C, 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
C at fret 8. 7th position: frets 7–11.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C melodic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C, the C melodic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 flat (E♭). Compared with C major, it has E♭ (♭3) instead of E.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | 0 |
| 2 | D | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | E♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | A | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | B | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in C melodic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C melodic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C melodic minor.
- iCmC · E♭ · GCm(maj7)
- iiDmD · F · ADm7
- ♭III+E♭+E♭ · G · BE♭+maj7
- IVFF · A · CF7
- VGG · B · DG7
- vi°A°A · C · E♭Am7♭5
- vii°B°B · D · FBm7♭5
Progressions to try
- Cm – F i–IV · minor with a major IV
- Dm – G – Cm ii–V–i
- Cm – G i–V
How to use C 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 C on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 8 |
| B (2nd) | 1 |
| G (3rd) | 5 |
| D (4th) | 10 |
| A (5th) | 3 |
| Low E (6th) | 8 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C melodic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C melodic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the C melodic minor scale?
The C melodic minor scale has 7 notes: C, D, E♭, F, G, A and B. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. It contains 1 flat (E♭).
What chords are in C melodic minor?
Harmonising the C melodic minor scale in thirds gives Cm (i), Dm (ii), E♭+ (♭III+), F (IV), G (V), A° (vi°) and B° (vii°).
Where do you play the C melodic minor scale on guitar?
The root, C, is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 7–11, starting from the root on the 6th string.