white fender stratocaster

Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale

This is a continuation from my previous guide: Modes of the Major Scale Explained!

The main difference between the major scale and the melodic minor is its flat 3rd as opposed to the major scales regular third. Therefore the seven modes of the melodic minor scale share only one note difference to the modes of the major scale. This scale is used extensively in jazz!

The seven modes of the melodic minor scale are as follows:

  1. Melodic Minor (similar to Ionian mode, but with a flattened 3rd)
    1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
  2. Dorian b2 (similar to Dorian mode, but with a flattened 2nd)
    1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7
  3. Lydian Augmented (similar to Lydian mode, but with a raised 5th)
    1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7
  4. Lydian Dominant: (Lydian b7) (similar to Lydian mode, but with a flattened 7th)
    1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
  5. Mixolydian b6 (similar to Mixolydian mode, but with a flattened 6th)
    1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7
  6. Locrian #2 (Aeolian b5) (similar to the Locrian mode, but with a raised 2nd)
    1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7
  7. Altered (Super Locrian) (similar to the Locrian mode, but with a flattened 4th)
    1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7

You construct these modes in the exact same way as you construct the modes of the major scale, you simply change the root note and you have different sounding mode. i made a diagram to illustrate this (again, in C – click image to make it bigger!):

Music Theory

And for good measure, here are the modes of the harmonic minor scale.

Modes of the Harmonic Minor Scale

  1. Harmonic Minor (same as the Aeolian scale, but with a sharpened 7th)
    1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
  2. Locrian #6 (same as the Locrian, but with a sharpened 6th)
    1 b2 b3 4 b5 6 b7
  3. Ionian Augmented (same as the Ionian, but with a sharpened 5th)
    1 2 3 4 #5 6 7
  4. Dorian #4 (Dorian mode with a sharpened 4th, also called the Romanian scale)
    1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7
  5. Phrygian Dominant (Phrygian mode with a sharpened 3rd, also called the Spanish Gypsy scale)
    1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7
  6. Lydian #2 (Lydian scale with a sharpened 2nd)
    1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7
  7. Alt Dominant bb7 (a very strange mode indeed, also called the Diminished scale)
    1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 bb7

Be sure to check out the other guitar guides scattered throughout the site!

Chord Theory

Scale Theory

General Music Theory

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