Melodic Minor scale · 7 notes
D melodic minor scale on guitar
The D melodic minor scale has 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, B and C♯. A major scale with a ♭3: the jazz musician’s minor scale.
Notes
- D
- E
- F
- G
- A
- B
- C♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – W – H
Sound
Smooth, sophisticated and bittersweet
D melodic minor on the whole fretboard
Every D melodic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, D, 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
D at fret 10. 9th position: frets 9–13.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of D melodic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from D, the D melodic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 sharp (C♯). Compared with D major, it has F (♭3) instead of F♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | 0 |
| 2 | E | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | F | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | G | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | A | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | B | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | C♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in D melodic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to D melodic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in D melodic minor.
- iDmD · F · ADm(maj7)
- iiEmE · G · BEm7
- ♭III+F+F · A · C♯F+maj7
- IVGG · B · DG7
- VAA · C♯ · EA7
- vi°B°B · D · FBm7♭5
- vii°C♯°C♯ · E · GC♯m7♭5
Progressions to try
- Dm – G i–IV · minor with a major IV
- Em – A – Dm ii–V–i
- Dm – A i–V
How to use D 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 D on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every D between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with D |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 10 |
| B (2nd) | 3 |
| G (3rd) | 7 |
| D (4th) | 0, 12 |
| A (5th) | 5 |
| Low E (6th) | 10 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as D melodic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
D melodic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the D melodic minor scale?
The D melodic minor scale has 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, B and C♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. It contains 1 sharp (C♯).
What chords are in D melodic minor?
Harmonising the D melodic minor scale in thirds gives Dm (i), Em (ii), F+ (♭III+), G (IV), A (V), B° (vi°) and C♯° (vii°).
Where do you play the D melodic minor scale on guitar?
The root, D, is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 9–13, starting from the root on the 6th string.