A melodic minor scale on piano
A melodic minor: minor with a raised sixth and seventh on the way up (classically it comes down as natural minor).
| Notes | A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A |
|---|---|
| Steps | W – H – W – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step) |
How to play the A melodic minor scale
Keep the thumb on white keys and pass it under after the longest group of fingers you can use; never put the thumb on a black key. Practise slowly, hands separately first. Start slowly with the metronome and keep every note even.
Chords in A melodic minor
Build a chord on every note of the scale using only notes from the scale:
| Step | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | A minor | – |
| ii | B minor | Bm7 |
| III+ | C augmented | – |
| IV | D major | D7 |
| V | E major | E7 |
| vi° | F♯ diminished | F♯m7♭5 |
| vii° | G♯ diminished | G♯m7♭5 |
Other A scales
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