E melodic minor scale on piano
E melodic minor: minor with a raised sixth and seventh on the way up (classically it comes down as natural minor).
| Notes | E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E |
|---|---|
| Steps | W – H – W – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step) |
How to play the E 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 E melodic minor
Build a chord on every note of the scale using only notes from the scale:
| Step | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | E minor | – |
| ii | F♯ minor | F♯m7 |
| III+ | G augmented | – |
| IV | A major | A7 |
| V | B major | B7 |
| vi° | C♯ diminished | C♯m7♭5 |
| vii° | D♯ diminished | D♯m7♭5 |
Other E scales
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