Melodic Minor scale · 7 notes
G melodic minor scale on guitar
The G melodic minor scale has 7 notes: G, A, B♭, C, D, E and F♯. A major scale with a ♭3: the jazz musician’s minor scale.
Notes
- G
- A
- B♭
- C
- D
- E
- F♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – W – H
Sound
Smooth, sophisticated and bittersweet
G melodic minor on the whole fretboard
Every G melodic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, G, 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
G at fret 3. 2nd position: frets 2–6.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of G melodic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from G, the G melodic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 sharp (F♯) and 1 flat (B♭). Compared with G major, it has B♭ (♭3) instead of B.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | root | 0 |
| 2 | A | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | B♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | C | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | D | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | E | major 6th | 9 |
| 7 | F♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in G melodic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to G melodic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in G melodic minor.
- iGmG · B♭ · DGm(maj7)
- iiAmA · C · EAm7
- ♭III+B♭+B♭ · D · F♯B♭+maj7
- IVCC · E · GC7
- VDD · F♯ · AD7
- vi°E°E · G · B♭Em7♭5
- vii°F♯°F♯ · A · CF♯m7♭5
Progressions to try
- Gm – C i–IV · minor with a major IV
- Am – D – Gm ii–V–i
- Gm – D i–V
How to use G 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 G on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every G between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with G |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 3 |
| B (2nd) | 8 |
| G (3rd) | 0, 12 |
| D (4th) | 5 |
| A (5th) | 10 |
| Low E (6th) | 3 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as G melodic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
G melodic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the G melodic minor scale?
The G melodic minor scale has 7 notes: G, A, B♭, C, D, E and F♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. It contains 1 sharp (F♯) and 1 flat (B♭).
What chords are in G melodic minor?
Harmonising the G melodic minor scale in thirds gives Gm (i), Am (ii), B♭+ (♭III+), C (IV), D (V), E° (vi°) and F♯° (vii°).
Where do you play the G melodic minor scale on guitar?
The root, G, is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 2–6, starting from the root on the 6th string.