C Melodic Minor
C Melodic Minor scale for guitar.
The C Melodic Minor is a seven-note scale. Colored circles mark the tones in the fingerboard diagram, with darker color highlighting the root notes. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 8th fret.
C Melodic Minor 2 octaves
C Melodic Minor full fretboard
C Melodic Minor with note names
The scale displayed with its numeric formula, intervals and scale degrees.
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | Unison | Tonic |
| 2 | D | Major second | Supertonic |
| b3 | Eb | Minor third | Mediant |
| 4 | F | Perfect fourth | Subdominant |
| 5 | G | Perfect fifth | Dominant |
| 6 | A | Sixth | Submediant |
| 7 | B | Major seventh | Subtonic |
The interval formula (2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1) can be expound into specific notes of the scale.
| Notes (ascending) | Interval |
|---|---|
| C-D | M2 |
| C-Eb | m3 |
| C-F | P4 |
| C-G | P5 |
| C-A | M6 |
| C-B | M7 |
| Notes (descending) | Interval |
|---|---|
| C-B | m2 |
| C-A | m3 |
| C-G | P4 |
| C-F | P5 |
| C-Eb | M6 |
| C-D | m7 |
Abbreviations are used: M / m stands for major / minor and P stands for perfect.
Chords that are related to this scale are the following:
| Cm7, Cm6, Cm6/9, CmM7 |
| Dm, Dm6, Dm7 |
| Ebaug, EbM7#5 |
| F, F7, F9, F9(#11) |
| G, G7, G9, G11 |
| Adim, Am7b5 |
| Bdim, Bm7b5 |
The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the C Melodic Minor scale in which Cm is the tonic triad. “M” is used as an abbreviation instead for “maj” in the third row.
The C Melodic Minor scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as intervals, as semi-notes or steps on the guitar fingerboard, written as 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 from the first note to the next octave.
This scale has an unusual aspect: it ascends as described above but descends as the Natural Minor. For that reason, it is also known as the Ascending Melodic Minor.
The C Melodic Minor is one of three C Minor scales, the other two are C Natural Minor and C Harmonic Minor.
The scale is identical with the Major scale apart from the minor third. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as Ionian b3 scale.