Modes of the melodic minor scale pdf

To begin, lets take a look at how you can alter one note from the ionian mode to create the first mode of melodic minor, otherwise known as the melodic minor scale itself. Some are bright and cheerful, others are soulfull or sad. Basic moveable fingerings so, if we take our definition of a major scale with a flatted third, then we can apply that directly to any major scale fingerings we know. Minor scales are built on the 6th scale degree of a major scale to quickly find a major keys relative minor, count down 3 halfsteps from the tonic note of the. For the melodic minor scale, you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step as you go up the scale and then return to the natural minor as you go down the scale. First, each mode is listed with the notes in ascending order, with each notes function listed. Used to solo over m7, maj7, 7, and m7b5 chords, melodic minor is just as important as its major cousin. Link to guitar pro file of tab for the guitar melodic minor scale scale 7. Print out the pdf, cut out the circles and connect the two discs. We make great jazzy sound with the melodic minor modes. Lets take a look at the formula of the harmonic minor scale.

It provides a full accounting of 5, 6, and 7note scales containing intervals no larger than a major third and selected 8note scales, chiefly to account for the bebop scales and the diminished scale. Melodic minor scale 3 notes per string jens larsen. There are two other minor scales, the harmonic minor and melodic minor, which are not represented by any of these modes. You can play along with or sing along to the mp3 for ear training and to help you hear if and when you are making a mistake in a scale or mode enjoy mp3. To get the melodic minor scale you would raise both the 6 th and 7 scales degrees up one halfstep. However, when considering the mixup that happens in the harmonic and melodic minor scales, this led me to wonder. The melodic minor scale is derived from the natural minor scale. How to play the modes of the melodic minor scale learn. A jazz minor scale is a minor scale with a raised sixth and seventh degree a melodic minor when moving upwards. Link to page dedicated to guitar melodic minor scale. The information here is presented as a reference, if you want to crack into using it then i recommend my. In a minor or the white keys on the keyboard, you would raise the 6 th and 7 th note. Guitar scales and modes explained easy shapes, licks.

The melodic minor scale is an exotic sounding scale. The pdf for this lesson is available through patreon in the patreon fb group. We use the scales to improvise jazz over the iivi chord progression. Played over different types of chords they can carry a whole different feel. Note that the ionian mode is also the major scale, and the aeolian mode is the minor scale. Natural, harmonic and melodic forms about minor scales. Fretboard topologies boo to compose, improvise, and explore the instrument. For example, locrian n 2, comparing this scale to a major not locrian yields a n 2. The major scale is the foundation of all western harmony and is obviously very important to study in both theory and practice. Question by matt usa im trying to learn a little bit more about music and how it works and im just a little confused right now concerning the natural minor scale. We locate and order all the 7 modes in a simple circular system. I made a call on the enharmonic spellings in the various keys in an.

The following modes from the melodic minor scale are used in jazz. In this episode i discuss how to construct, play and use the pentatonic scales from the melodic. Just like with the idea of parallel major and minor scales, you can choose to write solely. Musical modes have been a part of western musical thought since the middle ages, and were inspired by the theory of ancient greek music. The notes of the c melodic minor scale ascending are. Also known as the jazz minor scale, these modes are exotic sounding scales that can be substituted in place of less interesting harmonies. A beginner guide to modes here are a few charts to help break down modes, including scale patterns, chord patterns, and the characteristic colour note chord within each scale. Each of these 7 modes that are derived from the c melodic minor scale has its unique flavor due to the whole steps and half steps sequence.

If you have been following the previous lessons in this series, you should feel pretty comfortable with working out the modes of a particular scale by now. The melodic minor scale is an exotic sounding scale and its modes are used extensively in modern jazz improvisation. Every mode is a scale, but not every scale is a mode the melodic minor scale or the blues scale for example are not modes. In each of these scales, the first, third, and fifth scale degrees form a minor triad rather than a major triad, as in a major scale. While the words mode and scale are used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. In the theory of western music, a mode is a type of musical scale coupled with a set of characteristic melodic behaviors. Before talking about all the modes that are part of the harmonic minor scale, lets discuss and define the scale from which all these modes are extracted. Im trying to get my head around modes and the tonal center. So the parent scale of these modes is the melodic minor scale. As we have already learned, a mode is a scale created by establishing a new root note within a preexisting scale. In addition to learning the major scale in all 12 keys and the 7 diatonic or church modes derived from the major scale, the melodic minor scale is one of the most important and useful scales for jazz improvisers to master. Leave us your email below to download our pdf resources.

Modes of the melodic minor scale harmonic major scale modes as you can see, the world of scales can go from the simplest to the most complex so in this website for. As you would have guessed, the harmonic minor mode is a minor scale. In jazz, the modes of the melodic minor scale are very widely used. More specifically, the aeolian mode is the natural minor scale. We call scales relative if they share the same key signature. Remember, each mode is the same as the scale you started with but beginning from a different degree. In some contexts, minor scale is used to refer to any heptatonic scale with this property see related modes below. Although i believe there is a limit to value of practicing and understanding chord scale theory, the melodic minor scale is so prevalent in jazz improvisation and composition, i think that its important and relevant for the developing improviser to learn these modes in all keys. However, one interesting thing about the melodic minor scale, thats unlike the major or harmonic minor scale, is that there arent really any. We are already familiar with the modes of the major scale, but we can create modes from any preexisting scale.

Furthermore, the modes of the melodic minor are used extensively in modern jazz improvisation. Now that you learned the major scale modes, you can explore another essential scale system, melodic minor. It can be useful to think about what fingers to use to limit the amount of positions switches per position. Here is an overview of the melodic minor scale in the key of c, using the 3 notes per string system. If you are new to the major modes, check out my previous lesson, major modes made easy, for a refresher on these important melodic devices. As with any other scale, the modes are derived from playing the scale from different root notes, causing a series of jazz scales to emerge. Experimentation is your best friend for finding your sound. I cover the intervals and chords for each mode, their resolution tendency, and suggestions on how to. The melodic minor scale can be thought of as a parent scale much like the major scale, it has its own set of modes that are very useful.

As the foundation of western music, the major scale and its modes predominate in improvisation. David baker named these scales the bebop scales because they were used so often by jazz artists form the bebop era. Thus, the major scale and the jazz minor scale are the two most important generic scales. However, one interesting thing about the melodic minor scale, thats unlike the major or harmonic minor scale, is that there arent really any tension points built into the scale. These seven modes cover many of the chords you will come across when improvising, but other scale types still have an important role to play. In my understanding the natural minor scale is the same as the aeolian mode. The altered mixolydian mode is a harmonic minor scale started from the seventh degree finally, group iii contains the modes derived from the melodic minor scale. The name mode derives from the latin word modus, measure, standard, manner, way, size, limit of quantity, method powers 2001. What are the seven modes of the melodic minor scale. For example, the 7 modes on this page are inversions of the major scale. There are four different types of bebop scales, each of these scales have an extra chromatic passing tone. But sometimes we immediately get lost in altered scale, lydian dominant, locrian natural 2, etc and that is a pity because the tonic minor sound is certainly worth exploring.

So to conclude your first question why does the minor scale have modes all scales will have modes of some description and it may be helpful to draw a distinction between the melodicharmonic minors as new scales compared to the natural minor, which is in itself a mode of the major scale. Exercises jazz guitar method pdf ebook 40 dominant mixolydian guitar licks. Modes of the melodic minor scale guitar lessons and theory. Melodic minor modes and altered scale the jazz piano site. Grasp the very nature of the melodic minor scales and find out how they are. Guitar modes are scales made from the major and minor scales. Do modes exist in the harmonic melodic minor scales.

Most of their names are derived from the major scale modes. Heres a pdf and an mp3 of all the melodic minor scales and the modes. Similar to the major scale, 7 modes can be derived from the melodic minor scale. Mostly the trick is to start the lower strings with 1. You can build every type of diminished chord from those 6 modes. This article focuses on a very popular but certainly very strange sounding scale, the melodic minor, and how we can figure out some chords to play behind our rockin solos. In this post, im going to make sure we have a firm grasp of. The melodic minor scale is one of the most useful scales in jazz.

There are four diminished modes in the harmonic minor scale and two diminished modes in the melodic minor scale. Link to free printable guitar scales pdf file with all 5 positions of the guitar melodic minor scale. This scale is also some kind of peculiar since it is sometimes played differently ascending and descending. Learn the note names all harmonic minor scales in table form, in all 12 circle of 5ths keys, including single and double accidental theoretical keys home mobile view scale. A g minor melodic scale is g natural minor scale like g a bb c d eb f g where. A mode is a scale created by establishing a new root note within any preexisting scale. The melodic minor scale and its modes jazz guitar online. The other half consists of the modes of the jazz minor scale.

I made a call on the enharmonic spellings in the various keys in an attempt to make each mode easier on its own. Its pretty important also to understand the use of each of the modes, the chord type, and the upper extensions for each. Below are listed the seven modes of the c jazz melodic minor scale. Learn the note names all melodic minor scales in table form, in all 12 circle of 5ths keys, including single and double accidental theoretical keys home mobile view scale.