Guitar scale · jazz minor
G Melodic Minor Scale
Natural minor with raised 6th and 7th degrees. Foundational to modern jazz and fusion.
Tap any note to hear it.
G 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|-----------------------------3-5-6-| B|-------------------------5-7-------| G|-------------------3-5-7-----------| D|-------------4-5-7-----------------| A|-------3-5-7-----------------------| E|-3-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-| B|-------------------------7-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-8-----------------| A|-------5-7-9-----------------------| E|-5-6-8-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------8-10-| B|---------------------------8-10-11------| G|--------------------7-9-11--------------| D|-------------7-8-10---------------------| A|------7-9-10----------------------------| E|-8-10-----------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------11-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-13----------------------------------| E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------| A|----------12-13-15----------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Melodic Minor on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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 | G |
| 2 | A |
| ♭3 | Bb |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | D |
| 6 | E |
| 7 | F# |
Chords in G Melodic Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Melodic Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Gm | Gm(maj7) | Tonic |
| ii | Am | Am7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III+ | Bbaug | Bbmaj7#5 | Mediant |
| IV | C | C7 | Subdominant |
| V | D | D7 | Dominant |
| vi° | Edim | Em7b5 | Submediant |
| vii° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the G Melodic Minor Scale?
- The G Melodic Minor Scale has 7 notes: G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#.
- What chords are in the G Melodic Minor Scale?
- The chords of G Melodic Minor are Gm (i), Am (ii), Bbaug (♭III+), C (IV), D (V), Edim (vi°), F#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 G Melodic Minor on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.