Melodic Minor Scale Harmony

I. Melodic Minor

4 C- ²
œ œ
V4 bœ œ œ œ
œ œ

II. Susb9

D 7· à 9
œ œ
b9

V œ œ œ œ
œ bœ

III. Lydian augmented

b
²ã 5
E
œ œ œ bœ
#4 #5

V bœ œ œ œ

IV. Lydian dominant

F 7 ã 11 #4
œ œ bœ œ
V œ œ œ œ

V. Mixolydian b6

œ œ
b6
G 9 à 13
œ œ œ œ bœ
V œ

VI. Locrian #2

A± 9
œ bœ œ œ œ
œ
2

V œ œ

VII. Altered scale

B7 ¤
b9 #9

bœ œ
#4
œ
#5
œ œ
V œ œ œ

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Class Outline

Welcome to 7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days.

This introductory lesson will cover:

● how the class is structured
● what you need to know before starting Day 1

This is an intensive lesson series that requires a commitment of at least one hour per day to
complete. We recommend starting this class only when you have time to seriously dedicate to it.

Let’s recap a few points from the prequel to this class, 7 Modes in 7 Days. Feel free to skip
ahead if you’re a modal master!

3 things you need to know before you start

Let’s go over the prerequisite knowledge for this class. It’s vital that you have a solid grasp on
the following three concepts because we’ll refer to them throughout the class.

● All seven modes of the major scale

● A basic understanding of the II-V-I progression
● Note names on your bottom two strings

So, what is a mode anyway?

Modes are different starting places on a parent scale. If you know how to play a major scale,
then you already know the scale’s seven “child” modes. To play each one, simply start the major
scale from the 2nd, 3rd, or any other scale degree (other than the root note,) and voila! You’re
playing a mode.

Major Scale Modes recap:

1. Modes allow you to outline the sounds of chords.
2. The Ionian and Lydian modes outline major7 chords, but Lydian is more colorful.
3. Mixolydian outlines the Vdom7 chord and is used in funk and blues.
4. Dorian and Aeolian are the most common minor modes. You need to know the
difference between them and when to use them.
5. Phyrgian isn’t used very often.
6. Locrian is a must-know scale for jazz musicians. It’s used on m7b5 chords.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Similarities between Major Scale modes and Melodic Minor modes:
● Both have 7 notes
● Both have 7 chords
● Both are tied closely to an associated chord (e.g Lydian = Maj7#11 chords)

Key differences between Major Scale modes and Melodic Minor modes:

● Major Scale modes are largely interchangeable and used in one key.
● Melodic Minor modes are used to extend sounds from a major or minor key in a more
colorful way.

Songs aren’t typically in a Melodic Minor key. It’s better to think of the Melodic Minor modes as
ways to add “color” to standard chord progressions.

Let’s define some language:

● Mode: a different way of playing a common parent scale
● Melodic Minor: a scale with 7 notes most often used by modern jazz musicians
● Chord-scale relationship: the concept of each chord having an associated mode
● Tension and release: music is a constant dance between consonance and dissonance.
There are many micro-dissonances (or alterations) we can add to chords to create
tension.
● Dominant chords: chords with a major 3rd and b7, most often functioning as a V (five)
chord in a key.
● Key center: the home tonality of a song. A key center can be minor or major.
● Major scale harmony: music that contains chords and melodies from a major scale,
without outside notes.

Feel free to refer to this list as you work your way through the class.

Do I need to know all the modes?

The most common modes are Altered, Melodic Minor, and Lydian Dominant. Advanced jazz
musicians will use Locrian #2, and adventurous / modern jazz guitarists will use Lydian #5 and
Dom9b13.

Throughout this class, we’ll let you know which modes to really study, and which ones to cover
lightly.

Let’s get started!

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

College programs typically take a semester or more to cover the material in this class. To keep
yourself moving and motivated, don’t feel obligated to master everything from one lesson in one
sitting.

Let’s get started with Day 1.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Day 1. Melodic Minor
The Melodic Minor scale is a darker and more colorful version of the Dorian mode. You can
think of it as Dorian but with a richer flavor.

This mode is used over tonic (home) minor chords.

First, some background:

If we consider the Melodic Minor scale as its own parent scale, we can extract seven modes
from it based on each scale degree. We’ll cover all seven modes in this Master Class, with the
Melodic Minor scale being the first mode.

Chord-scale relationships

Every Melodic Minor mode has an associated chord. The chord is the sound of the mode, and
the mode is the sound of the chord.

The methodology that we use in this class focuses on the chord first and the scale second. It’s
important to understand and hear the chord first before you dive into the scale itself, because
the scale is a way of outlining the chord.

Think of a chord-scale relationship like a coin – on one side is the chord, on the other, the scale.

Let’s check out the chord for this mode!

The minor-major chord

Key characteristics of the minor-major chord:

● The min-maj chord most often functions as a tonic i minor chord (unlike a minor 7 chord
with a b7, which can function as a ii, iii, or vi chord in a major key or a tonic )
● It’s often substituted for minor7 chords to achieve a richer and darker sound.
● When improvising or writing melodies over minor-major chords, you use the Melodic
Minor scale.
● Advanced: Can also be found as iv minor chords in a major key

Nice! Now that you’re familiar with the sound of the chord, let’s continue.

How to play this mode

● Step 1. Play the chord to get the sound in your ears
● Step 2. Play one octave of the scale (notation above)
● Step 3. Name the scale degrees and sing them

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 ● Step 4. Learn a full scale position

The best way to learn a scale position is to start by playing it very slowly, without a metronome.
You want to get used to the visual shape of the scale position on your fretboard. Keep relating it
back to the chord shapes, this will help you commit the scale degree of each note to memory.

Your turn!

After you’ve mapped out one scale position, turn on a jam track and jam over it! Remember to
transpose to the correct key center if needed.

Next steps

It’s super important that you develop a strong understanding of this mode – days 2-7 rely
heavily on what you learned today. Don’t worry about mastering it in every position, just make
sure you feel comfortable with its sound and can play it in at least one position.

If you’re a more advanced student, check out our interlude lesson on all 5 positions of the
Melodic Minor scale.

Alright! You made it through Day 1. Give yourself a pat on the back, do a little dance, and we’ll
see you in the next lesson!

P.S. Tomorrow is an easier day than today!

P.P.S. You’re a superstar!

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Melodic minor
The first mode of the Melodic Minor scale
The melodic minor scale is a darker and more colorful version of the
Dorian mode. You can think of it as dorian, but with a richer flavor.

C-∆

b
R 2 b3 4 5 6 7 R

Vb b œ nœ nœ œ
œ œ œ œ

cale orm la
1/2

T 2 4 5
A 3 5
B 3 5 6

C-∆ 9
The min-maj chord most often functions as a
tonic i minor chord (unlike a minor 7 chord with
9 3fr. 10fr.

The chord
R R 9
a b7, which can function as a ii, iii, or iv chord in
7 a major key).
It's often substituted for minor 7 chords to
5 5 7
achieve a richer and darker sound.
b3 b3

Advanced: can also be found as iv minor chord

in a major key.

nœ œ œ œ
bbb n œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ
V œ œ œ œ œ
3 5 3
3 4 6 6 4
2 4 5
3 5
3 5 6
ll osition

b bb œ œ nœ nœ
V œ œ œ œ œ nœ nœ œ
3
5 4 2
5 3
6 5 3 2
5 3

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Melodic Minor lick

C - ²9
b 4 œ œ
Vbb 4 Œ ‰ J nœ œ œ w
j
Œ ‰ 4 3
4
5
6 5
 Positions
C Melodic Minor

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Day 2. Susb9
The second mode of the major scale goes by the names “Susb9” or “Dorian b2” as in, a
suspended chord with a flat 9th. This mode is used in modern jazz music and is a good one to
know if you’re a jazz musician.

We use the Susb9 mode over Susb9 chords (makes sense, right?) which are often found as V
chords in a minor key.

The Susb9 chord

Key characteristics of the Susb9 chord:

● A Susb9 chord is characterized by a dark and suspended sound, It’s most often used as
a V chord. Just as you can have dominant chords with a natural 9 or b9, you can have a
sus chord with a natural 9 or b9.
● Susb9 chords are often substituted for V7 chords in a minor key.
● Use the Susb9 mode (the second mode of the Melodic Minor scale) over Susb9 chords.
● Advanced: In modern styles of jazz, Susb9 chords can be non-functional – that is, they
are a “sound” you can use in certain situations even if they aren’t serving a traditional
V-chord function. This works well if there are common tones between chords or a strong
melody. (Think Herbie Hancock or Chick Corea vibes.)

Make sure you get a feel for the sound of the chord before moving on.

How to play this mode

● Step 1. Play the m9b5 chord to familiarize yourself with its sound
● Step 2. Play one octave of the scale (notation above)
● Step 3. Name the scale degrees and sing them
● Step 4. Learn one full scale position

Your turn!

After you’ve mapped out one scale position, turn on a jam track and jam over it! Remember to
transpose to the correct key center if necessary.

*Golf Clap Applause* Fantastic work getting through Day 2! The best is yet to come. We'll see
you bright and early tomorrow for another less-common mode, Lydian Augmented. Keep at it!
We saved the best mode for last (Altered).

If you're a more advanced player, check out the following interlude lesson before moving on to
Day 2.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Susb9
2nd mode of the Minor Major scale
The second mode of the major scale goes by the names
“Susb9” or “Dorian b2” as in, a suspended chord with a
flat 9th. This mode is used in modern jazz music and is a
good one to know if you’re a jazz musician.

C 7susb9

b
R b2 b3 4 5 6 b7 R

Vb b œ nœ œ œ
œ bœ œ œ

Scale Formula
1/2
1/2
T 2 3 5
A 3 5
B 3 4 6

The chord
A Susb9 chord is characterized by a dark and
R 5 R 8fr. 5 5fr. suspended sound, It’s most often used as a
V chord. Just as you can have dominant chords
b2 4
with a natural 9 or b9, you can have a sus chord
4 with a natural 9 or b9.

b2 R

nœ œ œ œ
bbb n œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ
V œ bœ œ œ œ
3 5 6 5 3
4 6
2 3 5 6
3 5
3 4 6
Full position

b bb œ œ bœ œ œ nœ
V œ œ œ bœ œ œ nœ
œ
6 4
6 5 3 2
5 3
6 4 3
6 5 3

7MelodicMinorModesin7DaysPickup
| Music
 Susb9 lick

œ C 7· à 9
œ œ
bb 4 J œ œ ˙
Vbbb 4
j
9 8
11
10
11 10
 Susb9 - Scale diagram

4 b œ b œ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ bœ
V 4 bœ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ
œ bœ bœ œ
œ
8 9 8
8 10 11 11 10 8
8 10 10 8
7 8 10 11 11 10 8 7
8 10 10 8
8 9 11 11 9 8
 Positions
D Susb9

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Interlude: 5 positions of the Melodic Minor scale
This is a nuts and bolts lesson. Here, you’ll learn the five positions of the Melodic Minor scale.
You’ll use these scale shapes throughout this class, so you can either learn them now or later
as you progress through this class.

How it works
● The five positions are listed below as diagrams and notation.
● It’s up to you to slowly practice the scales and get familiar with how they connect across
your fretboard.
● After playing the scale positions top to bottom, switch things up by skipping notes and
using intervallic jumps.
● Your final step is to practice combining positions.

Disclaimer! If you want to dive straight into modes and theory, you can return to this lesson
later on. Mastering the scale positions requires at least one month of work, so it’s best to build
this into your daily practice routine.

Save time: We recommend getting most comfortable with positions one and three to start.

Righto. Back to our regularly scheduled programming: Day 3. Lydian Augmented.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 5 positions of the melodic minor scale chords

Position 1 Position 2
b 4 w
V b b 4 ww ww
ww
w
4
5 5
5 5
3 6
8

Position 3 Position 4
ww
b w w
V b b www w

11
13
8 12
10 10
10
8

Position 5
ww
b w
Vbb w

13
12
13
15

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 5 positions of the melodic minor scale
C-∆ chords

Position 1 Position 2
b 4 w
V b b 4 n www n ww
w
4
3 4
5 5
3 6

Position 3 Position 4

n www
b ww w
V b b n www
11
8 12
8 12
9 10
10
8

Position 5

b b b n wwww
V

12
12
13
15
 5 positions of the melodic minor scale arpeggio

Position 1 Position 2

b 4 ˙ ˙
Vbb 4 œ œ nœ œ œ nœ
œ œ
3
4 4 7
5 5
3 6 6
8

Position 3 Position 4
œ nœ ˙
b ˙ œ œ
Vbb œ œ œ nœ

7 10
8
7 8
9 10
10
8 11

Position 5
nœ ˙
b œ œ
Vbb œ

10
12
12
10 13
 Positions
C Melodic Minor

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
 Positions
D Susb9

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
 Positions
Eb Lydian augmented

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
 Positions
F dian dominant

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
 Positions
G Mixo i b6

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
 Positions
A Locrian #2

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
 Positions
B Altered

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Day 3. Lydian Augmented
Let’s get fancy! Lydian Augmented is the third mode of the Melodic Minor scale.

Use Lydian Augmented over Major7#5 chords.

According to Mark Levine's jazz theory book, jazz musicians didn’t start playing this mode until
the 1960’s. This isn’t a widely used mode, so feel free to skip it if you aren’t trying to compose or
improvise over modern jazz harmony.

The Major7 #5 chord

Key characteristics of the Major7#5 chord

● It’s often notated as a slash chord – for example Cmaj7#5 is the same as E/C
● Maj7#5 chords can be substituted for Lydian chords for a darker and more complex
sound
● Use the Lydian Augmented mode over Major7#5 chords
● Advanced: Similar to the Susb9 chord, Maj7#5 chords can also be used as
non-functional “colors”. There’s only one truth in modern harmony: “if it sounds good, it
sounds good”.

How to think of this mode

● Like the Lydian mode but with a raised 5th

How to play this mode

● Step 1. Play the chord to get the sound in your ears
● Step 2. Play one octave of the scale
● Step 3. Name the scale degrees and sing them
● Step 4. Learn a full scale position

The modal force is strong with you. Onwards, young padawan.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Lydian augmented lick

C ²ã 5
4 œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
V4
œ
7
10
7 9
7 9 10 10 9 7 10 9
8
 Positions
Eb Lydian augmented

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Day 4. Lydian Dominant
The fourth mode of the Melodic Minor scale is Lydian Dominant. It’s a top three mode! Let’s
check it out.

Like the Lydian mode, it contains a #4, but it’s dominant because the seventh scale degree is
flatted. The Lydian Dominant scale is the perfect choice to use over a dominant seventh chord
with a #11(b5).

Let’s first explore the related chord.

The Dom7#11 chord

Key characteristics of the Dom7#11

● It’s often used in tritone substitutions.
● Although they have “Lydian” in the name, these chords are dominant chords and perform
a similar function to Mixolydian rather than Melodic Minor.
● Use Melodic Minor dominant over dom7#11 chords, which have a natural 9 and 13.

Example 1. Major II V I

Dm7 G7 C
Dm7 Db7#11 C

Play Db Lydian Dominant over Db7#11

Example 2. Minor II V I

Gm7b5 C7 Fm7
Gm7b5 Gb13#11 Fm7

Play Gb Lydian Dominant over Gb13#11

Example 3. “Take The A Train”

Cmaj D7#11 Dm7 G13

Sometimes, ii chords can be dom7#11, so you can use D Lydian Dominant over D7#11 – as
found in Take The A Train by Duke Ellington.

How to play this mode

● Step 1. Play the chord to get the sound in your ears

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 ● Step 2. Play one octave of the scale
● Step 3. Name the scale degrees and sing them
● Step 4. Learn a full scale position

Next up, another *bonus* lesson. We’re going to zoom out and look at the big picture of Melodic
Minor harmony. Who knows what we’ll find...

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Lydian dominant lick

C 7 ã 11
b 4 œ œ #œ nœ œ
Vb 4 Œ ‰ œ œ œ w
œ
sl. sl.

Œ ‰ 10 8 7
9 7
7 8 8 8
8
 Positions
F dian dominant

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Interlude: the interchangeability of Melodic Minor modes
Let’s zoom out. In this lesson you’ll learn how and when Melodic Minor harmony is used and
why it’s so awesome.

All seven Melodic Minor modes share the same notes from their parent Melodic Minor scale.
This is similar to major scale harmony, where the seven chords of a major scale share the same
notes.

But... there’s a big difference between Major Scale and Melodic Minor modes.

Big difference #1: Interchangeability

Melodic Minor modes and chords are interchangeable.

In a major key, you couldn’t swap a V Dom7 chord for the I Maj7 chord because they perform
totally different functions. It would just sound plain weird!

However, you could totally swap C Altered for Gb Melodic Minor dominant, because the
modes/chords of a Melodic Minor scale perform similar functions. That function could be loosely
described as a dark, sombre, modern, exotic feeling.

Big difference #2: No avoid notes

In major scales, we have what jazz musicians call “avoid notes” - notes that clash and sound a
bit weird. In Melodic Minor, we have no avoid notes. In other words, all the notes work on all
chords. Pretty awesome, right?

What this means for you:

1. Find them: You need to be able to notice Melodic Minor chords when you see them.
This takes training and practice - you’ll get there soon enough!
2. Trace them back to the parent: When you see a Melodic Minor chord, you need to be
able to trace it back to find the parent Melodic Minor scale.
3. Know the scale shape: you don’t need to know all 5 positions, just know 2-3 really well.
4. Reuse the same licks: any Melodic Minor lick will work on any Melodic Minor chord. We
added a few to get you started at the end of this class.

Phew! Who knew playing guitar required so much thinking. Strap in for Day 5. See you there!

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Day 5. Mixolydian b6
Welcome to the 5th mode of the Melodic Minor scale. Feel free to skip this mode! It’s rarely
played and isn’t worth your time. Great news, right?

The Dom9b13 chord

Key characteristics of the Dom9b13 chord

● It has the natural 9 but has a b13, so it’s somewhere between a plain vanilla dominant
chord and a fully Altered chord in terms of “altered vibe”.
● Use the Dom9b13 scale over a dom9b13 chord.

In his jazz theory book, Mark Levine describes this mode as a tonic min-major chord over the
fifth. This is one way to think of it, but we recommend approaching it as a dominant scale, which
has a natural 9th, 11th (like the 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale does) and b13.

Again, not a must-know scale but worth playing through once if you’re a jazz nerd!

We’ll use this day to recap everything you’ve learned so far and dive deeper into some music
theory. Check out the video to get started!

Feel free to continue ahead to Day 6. Locrian #2. This is a commonly used mode.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Positions
G Mixo i b6

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Day 6. Locrian #2
This mode is a must-know for jazz musicians!

Locrian #2 (sometimes called Locrian Natural 2) is the 6th mode of the Melodic Minor scale. It’s
widely used on all half-diminished chords.

Think of this mode as Locrian with a natural second, instead of a flat second.

The m9b5 chord

Key characteristics of the m9b5 chord:

● It most often functions as a ii chord in a minor key.
● Use Locrian #2 as a better alternative to Locrian over m7b5 chords.
● It can be labelled as m9b5 or m11b5.

Why use Locrian #2 instead of Locrian?

This is simple! The b9 in Locrian clashes with the root note of the chord. This would be fine if
the chord was dominant, but m7b5 chords are ii chords.

So, by raising the 9 one half step, we avoid this clash, and the chord and scale sound better!

How to play this mode

● Step 1. Play the chord to get the sound in your ears
● Step 2. Play one octave of the scale
● Step 3. Name the scale degrees and sing them
● Step 4. Learn one full scale position

We saved the best mode for last! See you tomorrow for the grand finale: Day 7. Altered. (Bring
popcorn!)

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Positions
A Locrian #2

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Day 7. Altered
We have arrived!

Fellow musicians, we present to you the holy grail of all scales and modes: the Altered mode.
This is the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor scale and is widely used in jazz, funk, R&B, and neo
soul. Yep, you’ve gotta know it!

Watch out! Music theorists are undecided on the best name for this mode. This mode is also
called diminished whole-tone and super Locrian. We prefer Altered because, well, it rolls off the
tongue.

Let’s quickly refresh what altered chords are and how we use them:
● A plain vanilla dominant chord is a dom13 chord.
● We’d use mixolydian over this chord.
● Musicians alter the extensions of this chord to add tension.

Let’s go deeper.

The Altered scale is the 7th mode of the Melodic Minor scale and contains all the altered tones
in a dominant 7th chord. The altered tones (b5, #5, b9, #9) aren't in the dominant 7th chord's
mixolydian scale.

The Altered scale is a popular option to use over an Altered V7 chord, creating tension before
resolving to the I chord.

The Dom7 Alt chord

Key characteristics of the Dom7 Alt chord

● Alt means “altered”
● A fully altered chord is dom7b9#9#11b13, which is a mouthful, so musicians just use “alt”
● Play the Altered mode over fully altered chords

You’ll often use Alt chords as the V in a minor key. They also work in major keys but will sound
more out of place and “ear-catching”.

A quick way to play this mode

Just start a Melodic Minor scale from the 7th degree. So, to play C altered, think Db Melodic
Minor scale. To play E Altered, play F Melodic Minor scale.

How to play this mode

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 ● Step 1. Play the altered chord to get the sound in your ears
● Step 2. Play one octave of the scale
● Step 3. Name the scale degrees and sing them
● Step 4. Learn a full scale position

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Positions
B Altered

Position 1

Position

Position

Position

Position
Melodic Minor harmony licks
To get you off on the right foot, here are 10 ready-to-jam licks. Remember: because Melodic
Minor harmony has no avoid notes, these will work on any chord from Melodic Minor harmony.

Rad!

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 Essential Licks library

10 Melodic Minor Licks

by Sam Blakelock
1. Outlining C minor major C- ²
b 4 œ
Transcription: Jan Jakut
œ
Vbb 4 J nœ œ œ ˙
j
4 3
4
5
6 5

C- ²
œ
2. From root to 9
nœ œ
V bbb J œ œ ˙

j
‰
P
8 7
8
8 7
10

3. A jazzy descend

A² ã5
### œ
œ œ œ
V œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ
4
7
4 6
4 6 7 7 6 4 7 6
5

4. A Lydian dominant sound

b
7 ã 11
bbb œ
B
b œ nœ nœ œ w
V œ œ œ

P P P
8 6 5
7 5
6 5 8
8
5. A must-know jazz move

F 7 ã 11
‰ œ bœ œ nœ œ
b Œ œ œ w
Vbb
3
3

‰
Œ
P P P
10 9 8 7
8
8 10
10

6. Outlining Em7b5 with a natural 9

E±7
œ œ #œ œ
Vb œ œ œ œ w

H P

8 7
7 7
5 8 8 5 5

7. B7alt to E major

B7 ¢ n œ
#### œ œ E²
œ nœ œ nœ
V nœ w

P sl. P
7 8 7
10 8
8 7
10 9

8. Altered descending lick

D7 ¢ G- 7
b œ œ œ
V b # œœœ œ œ œ nœ œ w
P

6 4 3
5 5 3
4 4 3
5 6 5
9. 'Cry Me A River' melodic minor motiv - altered application

F
#7 ¤
B²
#### nœ nœ nœ
V # œ nœ nœ œ œ w

5 3
3
3 2
5 4 2 4

10. Melodic minor arpeggio

C- ²
bbb nœ œ œ œ œ w
V œ œ œ

H H P

7 10 8 7
9 10
10
8 11

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Next steps

Nice work! You made it through 7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days.

Give yourself a hearty pat on the back, then let’s recap our key learnings and go over next
steps.

Key things you need to know:

● Modes and chords are two sides of the same coin.
● Melodic Minor modes enhance chord progressions you already know.
● The modes/chords/licks of Melodic Minor harmony are interchangeable because there
are no avoid notes in Melodic Minor harmony.
● There are 5 positions, but you only need to learn 2-3 well.
● The best way to play and think about modes is by relating them back to their parent
Melodic Minor scale

A summary of the modes:

● All guitarists should know Melodic Minor and Altered modes.
● If you’re a jazz musician, you should know Lydian Dominant and Locrian #2.
● If you’re an advanced jazz musician, consider exploring Susb9 and Lydian Augmented.
● Don’t worry about Mixolydian b6, unless you’ve mastered all the other modes.

Next steps

The following steps are only applicable if you’ve practiced and feel comfortable with everything
we covered so far. If you need to brush up on specific modes, don’t hesitate to revisit previous
lessons!

Step 1. Practice altering dominants

So far, you’ve mostly been isolating the modes. This is a great way to get started. Your next
step is to then play the modes in context. You want your lines to weave from “normal” Major or
Minor Scale harmony into Melodic Minor harmony, and out again. This “push and pull” is what
creates interest for your listener. The best place to do this is over V chords.

Here’s a selection of Jam tracks. Practice playing altered over all V7 dominant chords you come
across.

Step 2. Hit the SHED!

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Yup, you eventually have to learn all 5 positions of the Melodic Minor scale. If you don’t, there
will be dead zones in your fretboard that will hamper your improvisations. Now is a good time to
revisit our interlude lesson and hit the shed.

Step 3. Compose songs

A common technique taught in colleges is to compose songs using techniques you’ve learned.

Your assignment: write a 32 measure song using 7 chords from the Melodic Minor scale.

You need to include at least one of each of these chords:

● Min-maj
● Susb9
● Maj7#5
● Dom7#11
● Dom9b13
● M9b5
● Dom7 Alt

How did it go? Don’t worry if your song sounds overly rich. The goal here is to overuse this
“spice”, so you can develop a sense of how to “add it to taste”. Advanced students should
repeat this exercise five times in different styles and compose melodies over each chord
progression.

Congratulations!

We want to congratulate you on making it through this class – we know it’s been intense!

We had a blast developing this class for you. As always, the Pickup Music team is open to
suggestions on how to improve our lessons and best help our members reach the next level in
their guitar-playing journeys.

Do you have feedback on this Master Class or future lessons? Shoot us an email at
[email protected], we’d love to hear from you.

Best of luck for your practice!

But wait there’s more: We’ve got one final lesson on the CAGED system. You may want to skip
this lesson if you’re not yet familiar with CAGED!

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

Bonus: CAGED Mapping
If you’re familiar with the CAGED system, you can use this video to map out Melodic Minor
scale to Major scale CAGED positions.

7 Melodic Minor Modes in 7 Days | Pickup Music

 CAGED melodic minor C position

D melodic minor - C position

b 4 # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ
V 4 œ œ œ œ œ n œ nœ œ œ œ œ
œ #œ nœ œ œ
3 5 3
2 3 5 6 6 5 3 2
2 4 4 2
2 3 5 5 3 2
5 5 4 2
5 3
 CAGED melodic minor: A, G, E, D positions

œ œ nœ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ
D melodic minor - A position

4 # œ œ œ œ
V b 4 œ œ œ œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ œ
œ #œ nœ œ
Œ

Œ
5 7 9 7 5
5 6 8 8 6 5
4 6 7 7 6 4
5 7 7 5
5 7 8 8 7 5 4
7 5

œ nœ #œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ
D melodic minor - G position

œ œ œ œ
V b œ œ œ œ œ nœ #œ #œ nœ œ œ
œ œ œ #œ
nœ
7 9 10 9 7
8 10 10 8
6 7 9 10 10 9 7 6
7 9 9 7
7 8 10 10 8 7
10 10 9 7

n œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ nœ œ œ œ
D melodic minor - E position

œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ nœ
V b œ œ œ œ œ nœ #œ œ œœœ œ œ Œ Ó

Œ Ó
9 10 12 13 12 10 9
10 12 12 10
9 10 12 12 10 9
9 11 12 12 11 9
10 12 12 10
10 12 13 13 12 10

œ n
D melodic minor - D position
œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ nœ œ
œ œœ œ œ œ œ #œ
V b œ œ œ œ nœ #œ œ n œ œ œ œ œj ‰ Œ Ó

‰ Œ Ó
12 13 15 13 12
12 14 15 15 14 12
12 14 14 12
11 12 14 15 15 14 12 11
12 14 14 12
12 13 15 15 13 12