Guitar scale · jazz minor
A Melodic Minor Scale
Natural minor with raised 6th and 7th degrees. Foundational to modern jazz and fusion.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Melodic Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------7-9-------| G|-------------------5-7-9-----------| D|-------------6-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-7-9-----------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-----------------------------9-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-11-------------| D|---------------7-9-10--------------------| A|--------7-9-11---------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------10-12-| B|-------------------------------10-12-13-------| G|-----------------------9-11-13----------------| D|---------------9-10-12------------------------| A|-------9-11-12--------------------------------| E|-10-12----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------13-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-17-| B|-------------------------------------15-17----------| G|----------------------------14-16-17----------------| D|-------------------14-16-18-------------------------| A|----------14-15-17----------------------------------| E|-14-16-17-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Melodic Minor on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 2 | B |
| ♭3 | C |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | E |
| 6 | F# |
| 7 | G# |
Chords in A Melodic Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Melodic Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am(maj7) | Tonic |
| ii | Bm | Bm7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III+ | Caug | Cmaj7#5 | Mediant |
| IV | D | D7 | Subdominant |
| V | E | E7 | Dominant |
| vi° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Submediant |
| vii° | G#dim | G#m7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Melodic Minor anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Melodic Minor Scale?
- The A Melodic Minor Scale has 7 notes: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#.
- What chords are in the A Melodic Minor Scale?
- The chords of A Melodic Minor are Am (i), Bm (ii), Caug (♭III+), D (IV), E (V), F#dim (vi°), G#dim (vii°).
- What is the formula of the melodic minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7, which is the step pattern W H W W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Melodic Minor on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.