Melodic Minor scale · 7 notes
E melodic minor scale on guitar
The E melodic minor scale has 7 notes: E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and D♯. A major scale with a ♭3: the jazz musician’s minor scale.
Notes
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C♯
- D♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – W – H
Sound
Smooth, sophisticated and bittersweet
E melodic minor on the whole fretboard
Every E melodic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, E, 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
E at fret 0. Open position: frets 0–4.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of E melodic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from E, the E melodic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 sharps (F♯, C♯ and D♯). Compared with E major, it has G (♭3) instead of G♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | root | 0 |
| 2 | F♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | G | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | A | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | B | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | C♯ | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | D♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in E melodic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to E melodic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in E melodic minor.
- iEmE · G · BEm(maj7)
- iiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- ♭III+G+G · B · D♯G+maj7
- IVAA · C♯ · EA7
- VBB · D♯ · F♯B7
- vi°C♯°C♯ · E · GC♯m7♭5
- vii°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · AD♯m7♭5
Progressions to try
- Em – A i–IV · minor with a major IV
- F♯m – B – Em ii–V–i
- Em – B i–V
How to use E 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 E on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every E between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with E |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 0, 12 |
| B (2nd) | 5 |
| G (3rd) | 9 |
| D (4th) | 2 |
| A (5th) | 7 |
| Low E (6th) | 0, 12 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as E melodic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
E melodic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the E melodic minor scale?
The E melodic minor scale has 7 notes: E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and D♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. It contains 3 sharps (F♯, C♯ and D♯).
What chords are in E melodic minor?
Harmonising the E melodic minor scale in thirds gives Em (i), F♯m (ii), G+ (♭III+), A (IV), B (V), C♯° (vi°) and D♯° (vii°).
Where do you play the E melodic minor scale on guitar?
The root, E, is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 0–4, starting from the root on the 6th string.