The Melodic Minor Scale

What Is the Melodic Minor Scale?

A natural minor with raised 6th and 7th degrees

From a technical point of view, the melodic minor scale is a seven-note minor scale built from the natural minor scale by raising both the sixth and seventh notes by a semitone. The result is a scale that retains the minor third (the defining feature of any minor scale) but otherwise resembles a major scale: a major sixth, a major seventh, and the same overall flavour of brightness in the upper half. In A: A natural minor is A, B, C, D, E, F, G; A melodic minor (ascending) is A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯.

A natural minor: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  A
A melodic minor: A  B  C  D  E  F♯  G♯  A

Like all scales, a minor scale is a collection of notes brought together to make a specific sound. Think of the collection of notes as a palette of colours. In this analogy the performer is the painter, and the melody they play is the painting.

The palette of colours in the melodic minor scale produces a spectrum of dark and bright tensions. Unlike its other minor counterparts which have fixed pitch sets, the melodic minor has both ascending and descending forms. This gives a huge range of opportunities to conjure different musical moods - lyrical, melancholy, mysterious, tense and dynamic. Famous melodies like Ain't No Sunshine, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Autumn Leaves and even Alone Together are all composed from the palette of colours available in the melodic minor.

The melodic minor scale is one of three minor scales, alongside the natural minor and the harmonic minor. It exists for two specific musical reasons. First, it provides a leading tone (the raised seventh, sometimes called the raised 7th) for strong minor-key cadences — the same reason the harmonic minor exists. Second, it does this without producing the awkward three-semitone augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees that the harmonic minor creates. Raising the sixth as well as the seventh smooths out the upper half of the scale into a stepwise pattern that is easy to sing and easy to write melodies in.

That second property is what gives the melodic minor its name — "melodic" because the scale is shaped for melodic writing, prioritising smooth voice leading over harmonic strength. This versatility in the melodic minor is what gives the scale such a broad range of colours.

In short, the harmonic minor exists for harmonic reasons (a strong V chord); the melodic minor exists for melodic reasons (singable lines). They solve the same underlying problem — how to give a minor key a leading tone — in different ways.

Ascending vs Descending — Two Versions of the Same Scale

Why the melodic minor changes shape going down

The melodic minor scale is the only common scale in Western music that is taught as having two different forms — one ascending, one descending. This is the single biggest source of confusion for students approaching it for the first time, and it is worth getting clear before going further.

The traditional, classical-music form of the melodic minor scale uses the raised sixth and seventh only when ascending. When the scale descends, the sixth and seventh revert to their natural-minor positions — so the descending melodic minor scale in classical practice is identical to the natural minor scale played backwards. An ascending A melodic minor is A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A — but a descending A melodic minor is A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A.

The Melodic Minor Scale Formula

One semitone away from the major scale

The ascending melodic minor scale follows the same formula whether you treat the scale as classical or jazz:

That is: Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone. American sources usually write this as W H W W W W H using whole steps and half steps. The semitones fall between degrees 2–3 and 7–8.

This is the most useful way to remember the melodic minor formula: it is identical to the major scale formula (T T S T T T S) except the second interval is a semitone instead of a tone. In other words, the melodic minor is a major scale with a lowered third — sometimes called the Ionian ♭3 scale for exactly this reason. If you can play any major scale, you can play the melodic minor of the same key just by lowering the third note by a semitone.

Building A Melodic Minor From the Formula

Starting on A and applying the ascending formula:

A  +T→ B  +S→ C  +T→ D  +T→ E  +T→ F♯  +T→ G♯  +S→ A

This gives you A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A — the A melodic minor scale ascending. In classical practice the scale descends as A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A (natural minor backwards). In jazz it descends with the same raised notes: A, G♯, F♯, E, D, C, B, A.

Comparing Melodic Minor to Natural Minor and Harmonic Minor

Look at the three minor forms in A side by side:

A natural minor:  A  B  C  D  E  F  G
A harmonic minor: A  B  C  D  E  F  G♯
A melodic minor:   A  B  C  D  E  F♯  G♯

The first five notes are identical in all three. The harmonic minor raises only the seventh; the melodic minor raises both the sixth and seventh. This single difference is what eliminates the augmented second that the harmonic minor produces between F and G♯ — replaced in the melodic minor with a smooth tone between F♯ and G♯.

All 12 Melodic Minor Scales — Reference Table

Every melodic minor scale at a glance

The table below lists all 12 melodic minor scales (ascending form) in circle-of-fifths order, showing the notes in each scale, the parent key signature, and the raised sixth and seventh degrees. The descending form in classical practice reverts to the natural minor scale of the same key — see the per-key prose section below for details. Filter by sharp keys, flat keys, or view them all.

Notes of Each Melodic Minor Scale

Every key, named and spelt out

The reference table above gives you all 12 melodic minor scales in one place. Below is the same information set out in plain prose, with each scale named in both forms ("the C melodic minor scale" and "the scale of C melodic minor") and with the descending form noted alongside the ascending form, so you can find what you are looking for whether you arrived from a search for "the A melodic minor" or "the scale of D melodic minor".

The A Melodic Minor Scale

The A melodic minor scale ascending (also called the scale of A melodic minor) contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A. In classical practice the descending form reverts to A natural minor: A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A. In jazz the ascending form is used in both directions and is called A jazz minor. A melodic minor is the most commonly taught melodic minor scale because it builds on A minor and uses straightforward fingerings on most instruments.

The E Melodic Minor Scale

The E melodic minor scale, or the scale of E melodic minor, contains the notes E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D♯, E ascending. The descending classical form reverts to E natural minor: E, D, C, B, A, G, F♯, E. The raised sixth (C♯) and raised seventh (D♯) are added to the natural-minor key signature as accidentals.

The B Melodic Minor Scale

The B melodic minor scale (the scale of B melodic minor) contains the notes B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B ascending. The descending classical form is B, A, G, F♯, E, D, C♯, B (B natural minor backwards).

The F Sharp Melodic Minor Scale

The F♯ melodic minor scale, or the scale of F♯ melodic minor, contains the notes F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯ ascending. The E♯ is unusual — it sounds the same as F natural but is spelt as an E in this key so each letter name appears once. The descending classical form is F♯ natural minor backwards.

The C Sharp Melodic Minor Scale

The C♯ melodic minor scale (the scale of C♯ melodic minor) contains the notes C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯ ascending. The B♯ sounds like C natural but is spelt as a B. Descending in classical practice it reverts to C♯ natural minor.

The G Sharp Melodic Minor Scale

The G♯ melodic minor scale, or the scale of G♯ melodic minor, contains the notes G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F𝄪, G♯ ascending. The raised seventh is F double-sharp (F𝄪), which sounds like G natural. In practice many performers re-spell this scale enharmonically as A♭ melodic minor to avoid the double-sharp.

The D Sharp Melodic Minor Scale

The D♯ melodic minor scale (the scale of D♯ melodic minor) contains the notes D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B♯, C𝄪, D♯ ascending. Like G♯ melodic minor this scale requires a double-sharp; most musicians use the enharmonic equivalent E♭ melodic minor instead.

The D Melodic Minor Scale

The D melodic minor scale, or the scale of D melodic minor, contains the notes D, E, F, G, A, B, C♯, D ascending. The descending classical form is D, C, B♭, A, G, F, E, D (D natural minor backwards). The natural-minor parent key signature has one flat (B♭); the raised sixth turns B♭ into B natural, and the raised seventh adds C♯.

The G Melodic Minor Scale

The G melodic minor scale (the scale of G melodic minor) contains the notes G, A, B♭, C, D, E, F♯, G ascending. The descending classical form is G natural minor backwards. The natural-minor key signature has two flats (B♭, E♭); the raised sixth turns E♭ into E natural and the raised seventh adds F♯.

The C Melodic Minor Scale

The C melodic minor scale, or the scale of C melodic minor, contains the notes C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B, C ascending. The descending classical form is C natural minor backwards. C melodic minor is one of the most-searched melodic minor scales — it is heavily used in jazz improvisation as the source of the B altered scale (used over a B7 chord, since B is a half step below the C melodic minor tonic) and the F Lydian dominant scale (its fourth mode).

The F Melodic Minor Scale

The F melodic minor scale (the scale of F melodic minor) contains the notes F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D, E, F ascending. The descending classical form is F natural minor backwards.

The B Flat Melodic Minor Scale

The B♭ melodic minor scale, or the scale of B♭ melodic minor, contains the notes B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A, B♭ ascending. The descending classical form is B♭ natural minor backwards.

The E Flat Melodic Minor Scale

The E♭ melodic minor scale (the scale of E♭ melodic minor) contains the notes E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D, E♭ ascending. The descending classical form is E♭ natural minor backwards. E♭ melodic minor is the enharmonic equivalent of D♯ melodic minor and is preferred over D♯ melodic minor in almost all contexts.

The Jazz Minor Scale and Its Modes

Why the melodic minor is essential to modern jazz

Two Different Scales or Just One?

The idea of a jazz-specific melodic minor form took shape in the mid-twentieth century, when jazz musicians began thinking about scales as pitch environments rather than as melodic figures. To use the modes of the melodic minor scale over certain jazz harmonies, you need a consistent set of notes whether you happen to be ascending or descending.

Why the Two Forms Diverged Historically

Prior to the conceptualization of a "Jazz" melodic minor, the idea of a "classical" melodic minor did not exist. It was just the melodic minor scale invented to describe the movement of melodies in musical settings.

The jazz form emerged as a way of creating a set of pitches to be diatonic to certain highly descriptive chords. Maintaining the raised sixth and seventh in both directions made it possible to treat the melodic minor as a single coherent scale — and the resulting "jazz minor" scale (also known as the real melodic minor in some jazz pedagogy) became a foundational tool of modern jazz improvisation. It functions in a very specific context within the language of jazz harmony.

Which Version Should You Learn?

Learn Both. I personally do not make a distinction between a "classical" and "jazz" melodic minor (jazz minor). There is no need to separate the two. The traditional melodic minor should be used in certain harmonic settings to generate satisying melodic resolutions over minor chords, particularly in tonic minor settings. Given that the "Jazz Minor" uses exclusively the ascending melodic minor form, it is possible to deploy just the ascending form in other harmonic settings. By learning the traditional melodic minor scale, you have learned both versions and can use them appropriately.

The use of the melodic minor in jazz could fill a substantial guide of its own, and I will spin this out as a dedicated page over time.

Melodic Minor Scale for Saxophone

Melodic minor saxophone practice — order, written pitch, and tips

The saxophone is a transposing instrument, so the melodic minor scales you read and finger are written in a different key from the same scales played on a piano or guitar. We won't cover the mechanics of that here — for the full explanation including a live concert-to-written conversion tool, see our saxophone transposition chart. What this section covers is how to actually practise the melodic minor scale on saxophone: which keys to start with, the fingering trouble spots specific to the raised 6th and 7th, and how the scale fits into improvisation work.

Recommended Practice Order for Saxophone

Once you have the natural minor scales fluent in a few keys, work the melodic minor versions in roughly this order in written pitch (the pitch you read and finger). The order is the same whether you play alto, tenor, soprano or baritone — saxophone fingerings are identical across the family.

Start with: A melodic minor (raised 6 & 7: F♯ and G♯) and D melodic minor (raised 6 & 7: B and C♯). Both build on familiar natural minor scales and use straightforward fingerings.

Then add: E melodic minor, G melodic minor, C melodic minor — three of the most common keys for jazz altered-scale and Lydian-dominant practice when transposed.

Finally: the more demanding keys — B, F♯, F, B♭, E♭ melodic minor — which combine more accidentals with less familiar fingerings.

Practise Both the Classical and Jazz Forms

If you are working towards a grade exam, the syllabus will require the traditional form (raised 6 & 7 ascending, natural minor descending). If you are working on jazz improvisation, you still need the traditional form of the melodic minor, but you can also practise descending with the ascending form.

Melodic Minor Scale on Alto and Tenor Saxophone

The melodic minor scale fingerings on the alto saxophone are identical to those on tenor saxophone, soprano and baritone — only the written and sounding keys differ between the horns. The most comfortable starting melodic minor scales for the alto saxophone in written pitch are A melodic minor and D melodic minor; these are also the most comfortable on tenor, soprano and bari. For jazz improvisation, sax players usually prioritise C, F, G and B♭ melodic minor in written pitch, because these correspond to common jazz keys when transposed to concert pitch.

How to Practise the Melodic Minor Scale

Tips for getting both forms under your fingers

Melodic minor practice has one specific challenge that natural and harmonic minor practice do not: the scale changes shape going down. This means the muscle memory and the listening have to be split — your fingers need to do one pattern up and a different pattern down, and your ear needs to follow.

Practise the Two Forms Separately Before Combining

Drill the ascending melodic minor (raised 6 & 7) on its own first. Then drill the descending classical form (which is just the natural minor scale played backwards) separately. Only when both are fluent in isolation, combine them: ascending melodic minor up, descending natural minor down, in one continuous run. The two halves of the scale are connected by the tonic, which is the easiest place to make a smooth transition.

Why Beginners Should Not Use a Metronome

Aim to keep roughly the same speed throughout, but do not use a metronome. The melodic minor in particular is mentally challenging to practise due to the two forms involved. You should aim to practise slowly and not pause at the top note when the scale changes direction. Only advanced students who are very comfortable with the melodic minor should use a metronome. For such students, our free online metronome is built for exactly this kind of work.

For one-to-one help with melodic minor, jazz improvisation, or grade-exam scale preparation, saxophone lessons are available in person in South East London and online. Book a lesson to get started.

Printable Melodic Minor Scales PDF

Free download for every saxophone

Below is a free printable scale chart covering all 12 traditional melodic minor scales in written pitch — the pitch you read and finger on the saxophone. Print at A4 or US Letter size and keep it on your music stand. Because saxophone fingerings are identical across alto, tenor, soprano and baritone, this single PDF works for every saxophone in the family. For the natural and harmonic minor scales as PDFs, see the dedicated natural minor and harmonic minor pages.

The PDF is completely free — no email signup required. If you find it useful, consider sharing this page with a fellow musician or teacher.