Guitar scale · jazz minor
E Melodic Minor Scale
Natural minor with raised 6th and 7th degrees. Foundational to modern jazz and fusion.
Tap any note to hear it.
E 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|-----------------------------0-2-3-| B|-------------------------2-4-------| G|-------------------0-2-4-----------| D|-------------1-2-4-----------------| A|-------0-2-4-----------------------| E|-0-2-3-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------2-3-5-| B|-------------------------4-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-6-----------| D|-------------2-4-5-----------------| A|-------2-4-6-----------------------| E|-2-3-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-| B|-----------------------5-7-8-----| G|-----------------4-6-8-----------| D|-----------4-5-7-----------------| A|-----4-6-7-----------------------| E|-5-7-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-9-11-| B|-----------------------------8-10--------| G|----------------------8-9-11-------------| D|---------------7-9-11--------------------| A|--------7-9-10---------------------------| E|-7-9-11----------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------9-11-12-| B|---------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------9-11-12---------------| D|-----------------9-11-13-----------------------| A|---------9-10-12-------------------------------| E|-9-11-12---------------------------------------|
How to play E Melodic Minor on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 | E |
| 2 | F# |
| ♭3 | G |
| 4 | A |
| 5 | B |
| 6 | C# |
| 7 | D# |
Chords in E Melodic Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Melodic Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Em(maj7) | Tonic |
| ii | F#m | F#m7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III+ | Gaug | Gmaj7#5 | Mediant |
| IV | A | A7 | Subdominant |
| V | B | B7 | Dominant |
| vi° | C#dim | C#m7b5 | Submediant |
| vii° | D#dim | D#m7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Practise E Melodic Minor anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Melodic Minor Scale?
- The E Melodic Minor Scale has 7 notes: E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D#.
- What chords are in the E Melodic Minor Scale?
- The chords of E Melodic Minor are Em (i), F#m (ii), Gaug (♭III+), A (IV), B (V), C#dim (vi°), D#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 E Melodic Minor on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.