C melodic minor scale on piano
C melodic minor: minor with a raised sixth and seventh on the way up (classically it comes down as natural minor).
| Notes | C – D – E♭ – F – G – A – B – C |
|---|---|
| Steps | W – H – W – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step) |
How to play the C 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 C melodic minor
Build a chord on every note of the scale using only notes from the scale:
| Step | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | C minor | – |
| ii | D minor | Dm7 |
| III+ | E♭ augmented | – |
| IV | F major | F7 |
| V | G major | G7 |
| vi° | A diminished | Am7♭5 |
| vii° | B diminished | Bm7♭5 |
Other C scales
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