A melodic minor (ascending) scale on bass
A melodic minor (ascending) has 7 notes: A B C D E F♯ G♯. Degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. Formula: W H W W W W H.
What notes are in the A melodic minor (ascending) scale?
A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G♯. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is W H W W W W H.
What does A melodic minor (ascending) sound like, and when do you use it?
The "jazz minor": minor below, major above. Modern and sophisticated. Use it over m(maj7) and m6.
Chords in A melodic minor (ascending)
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am(maj7) |
| ii | Bm | Bm7 |
| ♭III+ | C+ | Cmaj7♯5 |
| IV | D | D7 |
| V | E | E7 |
| vi° | F♯° | F♯m7♭5 |
| vii° | G♯° | G♯m7♭5 |
Chord progressions to improvise with A melodic minor (ascending)
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the fretboard lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in A:
- Jazz minor (imaj7–i6): Am(maj7) | Am6. m(maj7) and m6: the melodic minor color in its natural home.
- ii–V–i (ii7–V7–imaj7): Bm7 | E7 | Am(maj7) | Am(maj7). ii–V to a i with a major 7th: the G♯ is the note in charge.
- i–IV7 (i6–IV7): Am6 | D7. Like the Dorian vamp, but with the major 7th (G♯) in the scale.
A melodic minor (ascending) positions on bass
In standard tuning (E A D G), with 3 notes per string, A melodic minor (ascending) is played in 7 positions along the neck:
- Position 1: frets 5 to 9 (starts on the root)
- Position 2: frets 7 to 11
- Position 3: frets 8 to 13
- Position 4: frets 10 to 14
- Position 5: frets 0 to 4
- Position 6: frets 2 to 6
- Position 7: frets 3 to 7
Same notes as
A melodic minor · C Lydian augmented · D Lydian dominant · E Mixolydian ♭6 · F♯ Locrian ♮2 · G♯ altered
Melodic minor (ascending) in other keys
On other instruments
A melodic minor (ascending) on piano · A melodic minor (ascending) on guitar · All scales