Below is a reference for learning the Melodic Minor Scale diatonically. The Melodic Minor is sometimes referred to as the 'Jazz Minor' due to its applications to Jazz. You may have gotten hip to the fact that the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor can be used serve up altered sounds over a functional Dominant (a V going to a I). At some point I also realized that the fourth mode of the Melodic Minor can be used over #11 Dominants. Learning the totality of the scale with diatonic context of all the arpeggios will give much greater command over these sounds.
| melodic_minor_scale_and_arpeggios.pdf |
While the Melodic Minor only differs from the Major scale by one note, I still find myself struggling to visualize it thoroughly over the fretboard, certainly more than Major scale. My ability to visualize the Major scale was significantly bolstered by learning all the diatonic arpeggios in the scale, across all the scale 'boxes' where the modes sit with the root on the sixth string. Learning arpeggios also significantly strengthened my ability to generate lines strongly outlining the harmony.
You can focus on parts of the neck by breaking it up into 'r6 mode boxes'. These scale 'boxes' I term with the 'r6' meaning 'root is on the 6th string.' For instance, 'III-r6' represents the way the notes sit when you play the Phrygian scale with its root on the sixth string. This lines up as a box, or chunk of the fretboard which is easier to concentrate on, especially at first.
Just like the the Major scale, there are seven notes in the Melodic Minor. Each of these seven 'degrees' has a mode, chord, and arpeggio associated with it. Modes are simply the same notes of a scale arranged with a different note serving as the root. The arpeggio for each degree can be found by skipping every other note in the mode until the next octave is reached. An arpeggio is basically the notes of a chord played sequentially.
Below are the scales and chords for each degree of the Melodic Minor Scale:
You can focus on parts of the neck by breaking it up into 'r6 mode boxes'. These scale 'boxes' I term with the 'r6' meaning 'root is on the 6th string.' For instance, 'III-r6' represents the way the notes sit when you play the Phrygian scale with its root on the sixth string. This lines up as a box, or chunk of the fretboard which is easier to concentrate on, especially at first.
Just like the the Major scale, there are seven notes in the Melodic Minor. Each of these seven 'degrees' has a mode, chord, and arpeggio associated with it. Modes are simply the same notes of a scale arranged with a different note serving as the root. The arpeggio for each degree can be found by skipping every other note in the mode until the next octave is reached. An arpeggio is basically the notes of a chord played sequentially.
Below are the scales and chords for each degree of the Melodic Minor Scale:
The Melodic Minor scales are:
I - Melodic Minor (R, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
II - Phrygian #6 (R, b9, b3, 4, 5, 6, #6)
III - Lydian Augmented (R, 2, 3, #4, #5, 6, 7)
IV - Dominant #11 (R, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7)
V - Mixolydian b6 (R, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7)
VI - Locrian #2 (R, 2, #2, 4, b5, #5, b7)
VII - Super Locrian (R, b9, b3, 3, b5, #5, b7)
The accompanying chords are:
I - Min-Maj7 (R, b3, 5, 7)
II - Min #6 (R, b3, 5, b7)
III - Maj7 #5 (R, 3, #5, 7)
IV - Dom.7 #11 (R, 3, 5, b7)(#11)
V - Dom.7 b13 (R,3, 5, b7)(#13)
VI - Min7b5 (R, b3, b5, b7)
VII -Min7b5 (R, b3, b5, b7)
I recommend starting with the Melodic Minor arpeggios in the middle section of the PDF. Take four or five days and run over the arpeggios for one mode (probably start with Min/Maj7) in all the different r6 mode boxes. Maybe put on a relevant backing track and definitely a metronome. By the fifth day, you should really concentrate on connecting between the boxes and try to work horizontally or diagonally.
After you have the arpeggios, the scales are just the rest of the notes to flesh them out. Start with the most useful scales for playing over Dominants, like the Lydian Augmented and Super Locrian.
Finally, learn to run all the arpeggios within a particular mode box. This will reinforce both the scale pattern and the diatonic progression within the Melodic Minor.
While you are not going to necessarily find a lot of complex harmonic movements of the Melodic Minor in Jazz tunes, learning the diatonics of the Jazz Minor will give you greater facility at minor two-fives and the ability to super-impose these scales in other applications.
I - Melodic Minor (R, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
II - Phrygian #6 (R, b9, b3, 4, 5, 6, #6)
III - Lydian Augmented (R, 2, 3, #4, #5, 6, 7)
IV - Dominant #11 (R, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7)
V - Mixolydian b6 (R, 2, 3, 4, 5, b6, b7)
VI - Locrian #2 (R, 2, #2, 4, b5, #5, b7)
VII - Super Locrian (R, b9, b3, 3, b5, #5, b7)
The accompanying chords are:
I - Min-Maj7 (R, b3, 5, 7)
II - Min #6 (R, b3, 5, b7)
III - Maj7 #5 (R, 3, #5, 7)
IV - Dom.7 #11 (R, 3, 5, b7)(#11)
V - Dom.7 b13 (R,3, 5, b7)(#13)
VI - Min7b5 (R, b3, b5, b7)
VII -Min7b5 (R, b3, b5, b7)
I recommend starting with the Melodic Minor arpeggios in the middle section of the PDF. Take four or five days and run over the arpeggios for one mode (probably start with Min/Maj7) in all the different r6 mode boxes. Maybe put on a relevant backing track and definitely a metronome. By the fifth day, you should really concentrate on connecting between the boxes and try to work horizontally or diagonally.
After you have the arpeggios, the scales are just the rest of the notes to flesh them out. Start with the most useful scales for playing over Dominants, like the Lydian Augmented and Super Locrian.
Finally, learn to run all the arpeggios within a particular mode box. This will reinforce both the scale pattern and the diatonic progression within the Melodic Minor.
While you are not going to necessarily find a lot of complex harmonic movements of the Melodic Minor in Jazz tunes, learning the diatonics of the Jazz Minor will give you greater facility at minor two-fives and the ability to super-impose these scales in other applications.
RSS Feed
