E Melodic Minor

E Melodic Minor scale for guitar.
The E 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, 12th fret.

E Melodic Minor 2 octaves

E Melodic Minor scale diagram

E Melodic Minor full fretboard

E Melodic Minor scale whole guitar neck diagram

E Melodic Minor with note names

E Melodic Minor scale with note letters diagram

Shape 1 (11th position) with fingerings

E Melodic Minor scale shape 1 diagram

Shape 2 (2nd position) with fingerings

E Melodic Minor scale shape 2 diagram

Shape 3 (4th position) with fingerings

E Melodic Minor scale shape 3 diagram

Shape 4 (6th position) with fingerings

E Melodic Minor scale shape 4 diagram

Shape 5 (9th position) with fingerings

E Melodic Minor scale shape 5 diagram
Notes: E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D# Intervals: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 Type: Septonic 
Eb Melodic Minor scale  •  F Melodic Minor scale

The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes, intervals and scale degrees.

Formula Notes Intervals Degrees
1 E Unison Tonic
2 F# Major second Supertonic
b3 G Minor third Mediant
4 A Perfect fourth Subdominant
5 B Perfect fifth Dominant
6 C# SixthSubmediant
7 D# 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
E-F# M2
E-G m3
E-A P4
E-B P5
E-CM m6
E-D# M7
Notes (descending) Interval
E-D# m2
E-C# m3
E-B P4
E-A P5
E-G M6
E-F# m7

Abbreviations are used: M / m stands for major / minor and P stands for perfect.

The main three-note and four-note chords that are related to this scale are the following:

Em 022000 Em6 022020
F#m 244222 F#m7 242222
Gaug 321003 GM7#5 32444X
A X02220 A7 X02020
B X24442 B7 X21202
C#dim X4565X C#m7b5 X4545X
D#dim X6787X D#m7b5 X6767X

The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the E Melodic Minor scale in which Em is the tonic triad.
The second and fourth columns include short notations for the chords in the first and third columns respectively. These are based on common ways to play the chord, but there are other alternatives. “M” is used as an abbreviation instead for “maj” in the third column.

The E 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 E Melodic Minor is one of three E Minor scales, the other two are E Natural Minor and E 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.

Start the audio and play along with your guitar! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.

Normal tempo:
Slow tempo:

If you already know the E Natural Minor, the equivalent Melodic Minor is distinguished with the raised sixth and seventh intervals.
Also beneficial for learning this scale is to observe the note steps, starting from the root: whole, half, whole, whole, whole, whole, half

E Melodic Minor scale first shape ascending.

E Melodic Minor scale tab

The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.