Each minor scale has a different use and application in jazz piano and so learning how to construct and apply each one is a vital skill. Once you are comfortable with this, sing the scale degree formula as well. There are three types of minor scale: the natural minor scale, the harmonic minor scale and the melodic minor scale. The Melodic Minor Scale is a great tool for Jazz Guitar soloing and improvising. So the whole thing on scales is the vibe the feel that you can get. We have seen two minor scales so far - the Natural Minor, which is a mode of the Major scale, and the Harmonic Minor, which has a distinctly different pattern of intervals. You might say, Roy, hey, what can I play to sound sophisticated and hip so I can play with the other cats at the Jazz festival Melodic Minor. Melodic minor also has more internal dissonance than the major scale and its modes. There’s a constant conflict between the bottom half of the scale and the top. Eg.Ģ) Memorize the scale degree formulas for each modeģ) On the guitar, practice each mode in every shape of the CAGED system by playing slowly and accurately.ģ) Sing and play the note names when practicing in a mode in each shape of the CAGED system. If you want to sound jazzy this is the scale for you. The weirdness of melodic minor comes from the way it lives simultaneously in the minor and major key worlds.
Click on each mode to check out the diagrams for every mode in every form of the CAGED system.ġ) Memorize the order the modes appear in. Use this chart as an aid in memorizing the modes of the melodic minor scale.