A Melodic Minor Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
A Melodic Minor Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A Melodic Minor scale, often called the Jazz Minor, offers a more sophisticated and fluid sound than the natural minor. On Guitar, it contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#. It is a vital tool for modern jazz improvisation, allowing players to navigate complex dominant chords and create elegant, tension-filled melodic lines that avoid the exotic jump of the harmonic minor. The diatonic chords of A Melodic Minor are Am6, Bm7, C+maj7, D7, E7, F#m7b5, G#m7b5. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Contemporary Classical, Progressive. Notable players include Pat Metheny, John Coltrane, Allan Holdsworth. Use over m(Maj7), m6 chords. Its modes cover nearly every altered dominant situation in jazz. The 'jazz minor' is the single most important advanced scale system.
Notes: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
Formula: W-H-W-W-W-W-H
Number of notes: 7
Diatonic Chords
Am6 — Bm7 — C+maj7 — D7 — E7 — F♯m7♭5 — G♯m7♭5
How to Play A Melodic Minor on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 5 on the 6th (low E) to find your A root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is open position using open A string.
The A Melodic Minor scale contains 2 sharps (F#, G#). Its relative major is C major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the A Melodic Minor scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Try these progressions with the A Melodic Minor scale: Am6 - D7 - E7 - Am6 (I-IV-V-I) or Am6 - Bm7 - D7 - E7 for a more stepwise movement.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the A Melodic Minor scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications.
The A Melodic Minor scale contains 7 notes (A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Melodic Minor
The A Melodic Minor scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore A Melodic Minor Further
- Harmonize the A Melodic Minor scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A Melodic Minor on Ukulele
- A Melodic Minor on Bass
- A Melodic Minor on Piano
Explore A Melodic Minor in Other Tunings
- A Melodic Minor in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A Melodic Minor in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A Melodic Minor in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A Melodic Minor in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A Melodic Minor in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A Melodic Minor in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A Melodic Minor in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A Melodic Minor in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A Melodic Minor in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A Melodic Minor in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A Melodic Minor in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A Melodic Minor in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A Melodic Minor in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A Melodic Minor in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)