Guitar scale · jazz minor
C# Melodic Minor Scale
Natural minor with raised 6th and 7th degrees. Foundational to modern jazz and fusion.
Tap any note to hear it.
C# 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|----------------------------------------9-11-12-| B|----------------------------------11-13---------| G|--------------------------9-11-13---------------| D|-----------------10-11-13-----------------------| A|---------9-11-13--------------------------------| E|-9-11-12----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-12-14-| B|-------------------------------------13-14----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15----------------| D|-------------------11-13-14-------------------------| A|----------11-13-15----------------------------------| E|-11-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-| B|----------------------------------14-16-17-------| G|-------------------------13-15-17----------------| D|----------------13-14-16-------------------------| A|-------13-15-16----------------------------------| E|-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-20-| B|-------------------------------------17-19----------| G|----------------------------17-18-20----------------| D|-------------------16-18-20-------------------------| A|----------16-18-19----------------------------------| E|-16-18-20-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-21-| B|-------------------------------------19-21----------| G|----------------------------18-20-21----------------| D|-------------------18-20-22-------------------------| A|----------18-19-21----------------------------------| E|-18-20-21-------------------------------------------|
How to play C# Melodic Minor on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# 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 9–13. 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 | C# |
| 2 | D# |
| ♭3 | E |
| 4 | F# |
| 5 | G# |
| 6 | A# |
| 7 | B# |
Chords in C# Melodic Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C# Melodic Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | C#m(maj7) | Tonic |
| ii | D#m | D#m7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III+ | Eaug | Emaj7#5 | Mediant |
| IV | F# | F#7 | Subdominant |
| V | G# | G#7 | Dominant |
| vi° | A#dim | A#m7b5 | Submediant |
| vii° | B#dim | B#m7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C# 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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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Melodic Minor Scale?
- The C# Melodic Minor Scale has 7 notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B#.
- What chords are in the C# Melodic Minor Scale?
- The chords of C# Melodic Minor are C#m (i), D#m (ii), Eaug (♭III+), F# (IV), G# (V), A#dim (vi°), B#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 C# Melodic Minor on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.