Melodic Minor

Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale is the same as the harmonic minor scale, except with a major 6th degree:

1   2   b3   4   5   6   7

The major 6th resolves the dissonance commonly associated with the augmented 2nd between the 6th and 7th degrees found in harmonic minor. This is rough for melodies, so the result when raising the 6th degree is a scale that sounds minor for the first four notes, and a major scale for the remaining three notes, creating a very bright and clean sound that is great for melodies. 

Thus, melodic minor.

Because of this, melodic minor and its modes are very common in jazz, classical, and fusion environments. It is important to note that traditionally, the melodic minor scale is only used when ascending, and changes back to natural minor when descending. 

This is because many people considered the 1/2 step down was too harsh from the root down to the 7th. In modern jazz applications though, we ignore this and simply identify each scale as its own entity.

Essentially, this scale can be played from the root of a minor triad if you want that "flavor," or from a MI/MA 7th chord, which is the I chord in a melodic minor progression. 

Below are the diatonic triads and 7th chords of the melodic minor scale:

Triads:

Imi       IImi       bIIIaug        VIma        Vma       VIdim       VIIdim

7th Chords:

Iminmaj7      IImi7      bIIImaj7#5      IV7       V7      VImi7b5       VIImi7b5

Note: The minmaj7 chord is the I chord in harmonic minor as well as melodic minor, so you have to look at the other chords in the progression to assist you in your scale choice.

You will see that the resulting chords provide many options. We have two minor triads, two major triads, and two diminished triads, and they all are back-to-back. This really gives us some interesting choices.  One of my favorites is to focus on the IV7 and V7 and immediately think blues with a minor tonic.

Below are some jam tracks for you to play over, as well as, all five patterns of the melodic minor scale. Learn the scales. Make up progressions. Improvise over them. Get a feel for the "sound" of melodic minor. You know the drill.

Jam Tracks:

1.  Ab melodic minor - Imi - IV7 - V7

2.  Gb melodic minor - Imi - IV7 - V7

3.  D melodic minor - Imima7 vamp