Jazz Guitar Mastery

The Melodic Minor Scale

By John Stowell

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Copyright © 2024 by GuitarVivo

Written by John Stowell
Edited by Luke Lewis

Transcribed by Jeff Dafonte

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 Table of Contents
Accessing The Accompanying Media .................................................................. 4
About the Author ................................................................................................ 5
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 6

1. An introduction to the Melodic Minor Scale................7

2. Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale ...........................19

3. Major Chord Applications ........................................32

4. Dominant Chord Applications ..................................36

5. Minor Chord Applications ........................................53

6. Melodic Minor Blues Etude ......................................63

Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 68

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 Accessing The Accompanying Media

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 About the Author

John Stowell began his successful career in the early 1970's whilst studying with guitarist Linc
Chamberland and pianist John Mehegan. Both men were valuable mentors to John, allowing him
to play with them as he progressed in his development. Several years later he met bassist David
Friesen in New York City, and they formed a duo that recorded and toured prolifically for seven
years, with performances in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

In 1983, John and David joined flutist Paul Horn and Paul's son Robin Horn (on drums) for a historic
tour of the Soviet Union. This was the first time in forty years that an American jazz group had
been invited to play public performances in Russia. In 1993, 1995, 1998 and 2012 John returned
to Russia, playing in numerous cities. His two sold-out performances in Kursk may have been the
first appearances there by an American jazz musician.

John continues to tour, record and teach internationally. He has been Artist-In-Residence at
schools in Germany, Indonesia, Argentina, and in the United States and Canada.

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I ntroduction

The melodic minor scale makes up a huge part of my melodic and harmonic palette. Studying the
scale, its modes, and the harmonic content within it, has been part of my life’s work as a jazz
guitarist. This book is the distillation of years and years study and exploration, and I’m incredibly
excited to share it with you.

This book is laid out in a very logical manner, however, it’s different from how most scale books
are set out. Most scale books will simply examine each mode, one by one, and look at a few licks
within each mode. The way I think about the melodic minor scale (and its modes) is a little bit
different. Although we will start with this approach, isolating each scale and getting to grips with
it, my approach is to think about the functionality of these scales a little bit differently.

Whilst most players learn a scale or mode’s application by analyzing the harmony that it contains,
we can get a lot more mileage by doing the complete opposite. We’re going to look at the harmony
that can contain each scale. This gives us far more uses for each mode.

That might sound a little bit confusing at first but here’s a simple example. You will probably all
know that you can play a major pentatonic scale over a major 7 chord, even though the major
pentatonic scale doesn’t contain all of the notes of the chord.
C major Pentatonic: C D E G A

C major7 chord: C E G B

If we only think of scales as being relevant for just the chords they contain, we would never get
the simple concept of playing a major pentatonic scale over a major7 chord.

In this book, we will take a harmony-first approach and examine how we can utilize Melodic Minor
modes in more ways than might be immediately apparent from just understanding the mode itself.
Obviously, there are some tricks of the trade to making this work. These will be covered on a case-
by-case basis.
However, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s start with an introduction to the scale.

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1 An introduction to the Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale has a rich (and sometimes confusing) musical history. There is a bit of
mysticism around it as it traditionally has two different forms. Classical musicians and composers
deal with two forms of the melodic minor scale, one form when ascending and another one when
descending. Luckily for us, when it comes to jazz, we only deal with one form of the scale. One
structure that is played the same way low to high as it is high to low.

The simplest way to think about the melodic minor scale, is to think of it as a major scale with a
flatted 3. You can take any major scale shape, flatten the third, and have a melodic minor scale.

This means that the intervals found in the melodic minor scale are 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Only one note
is different from the major scale. Take a moment to go through any major scale shapes that you
know, converting them to melodic minor by flattening the third. You can also do this with licks and
chordal ideas.

Now, I’m going to present different scale shapes, arpeggios, and voicings to convey the sound of
the melodic minor scale. There are no rules on how to internalize this material; you don’t have to
memorize every chord and shape before progressing, but I would like you to have attempted all
the sounds in this chapter so that your ear has built an appreciation for the content. This may
seem a little sterile or overly methodical, but it is well worth it to get these sounds under your
fingers.

Here are the most common five positions for the melodic minor scale in the key of C.

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The chord most associated with the melodic minor scale is the minor/major7 chord. This chord
is also only one note removed from a more common structure, the major7 chord.

C major 7: C E G B
C minor/major7: C Eb G B

Again, you can rework things that you already know into melodic minor sounds by taking any major
chord shape or arpeggio and flattening the thirds.

Here are the five minor/major7 arpeggio fingerings that exist within the previously shown
positions.

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The sound of the minor/major7 should also be learnt harmonically. Here are some of the most
practical and useful voicings to learn.

Your first goal towards mastering the sound of the melodic minor scale is to practice the scales,
arpeggios, and chords until they work their way into your subconscious, and you can recall their
sounds at will in your mind’s ear.

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Once your ear has a firm grasp of the material above, you can also explore more extended
arpeggios and chords by adding sixths and ninths. These not only create beautiful melodic
structures to improvise with but also wonderful chords that you can substitute for minor sounds.

Let’s start by adding in a D to our chord voicings to create minor/major9 voicings (1, b3, 5, 7, 9)

We can also utilize the minor/major9 sound melodically with arpeggios, shown on the next page.

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The final sound I’d like to show you from within the melodic minor scale is the minor/major7(6/9).
You could think of this as a minor/major13 chord, and as with most 13th chords, we’re just omitting
the 11th.
C minor/major7(6/9): C Eb G B D A

Here are some minor/major7(6/9) chords to learn the sound and fingerings for. For practical and
sonic reasons, not all voicings contain all of the possible notes of the chord, but they do all contain
the sixth and ninth

To help you connect all of these ideas and start to see more melodic applications, instead of just
running the positions, I’ve written a few short melodic cells that I feel convey the sound of the
melodic minor scale. I’ve also written a short etude in E, this allows us to use the low E string as
a reference/drone throughout the etude to really hear everything contextually.

Pay attention to how I’m melodically organising the material, by that I mean, which notes I lean
into and emphasize.
The first few examples sound great over minor/major7 chord

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Example 1.1

Example 1.2

Example 1.3

Example 1.4

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Example 1.5

Our next set of examples shows how I would use melodic minor over a more common minor7
chord. Here, the major7 functions more as a passing note.
Example 1.6

Example 1.7

Example 1.8

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Example 1.9

Example 1.10

Our final set of licks show how I might use the melodic minor in the context of a ii-V-i. here we
have a ii-V-I in the key of C minor and I’m using C melodic minor over the final chord.

Example 1.11

Example 1.12

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Example 1.13

Example 1.14

Example 1.15

The following is a short, improvised etude in E melodic minor. Again, I’m emphasizing notes very
intentionally to draw out the uniqueness of the scale.
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Example 1.16 Etude 1 (Video of performance included with downloads)

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2 Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale

In this chapter we will touch on each of the individual modes of the melodic minor scale, the
harmony they contain, and learn some ear-informing etudes to give an aural snapshot of each
one. There will be lots of fingerings in this chapter, however, feel free to use these as a resource.
Don’t feel that you need to memorize all of the modes in all positions before moving on. It’s more
important that you use this chapter to familiarize yourself with the names and spellings of the
modes before we move onto the chapters that explore the different harmonic and musical
applications.

As the melodic minor scale is only one note different to the major scale, each mode of the melodic
minor scale is also only one note away from the corresponding major scale mode. This is why
you’ll see a lot of the same modal names coming up, with the addition of an alteration. For
example, the fifth mode of the major scale is the Mixolydian mode, and the fifth mode of the
melodic minor scale is the Mixolydian b6 scale. As you can see, we’ve simply named the melodic
minor mode after its closest major mode equivalent.
Here are the modes of the melodic minor scale in order, next to the major scale mode found on
the same degree.

Major Scale Mode Melodic Minor Mode

Ionian Melodic Minor

Dorian Dorian b9

Phrygian Lydian Augmented

Lydian Lydian Dominant

Mixolydian Mixolydian b6

Aeolian Locrian natural 9

Locrian Altered Scale

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As you can see, sometimes the names and positions match. For example, both of the second
modes are a kind of Dorian, the fourth modes are Lydian, and the fifth modes are Mixolydian. You
could think of them all this way and call the melodic minor scale the Ionian b3, the Lydian
Augmented scale could be Phrygian b1, the sixth mode could be Aeolian b5, and the Altered scale
could be Locrian b4. The reason we haven’t done this is for the sake of practicality and clarity.
Instead, we have opted for names that have strong links to their function.

You might know that a Locrian scale works well over minor7b5 chords. As the sixth mode of the
harmonic minor also works well over m7b5 chords, we prefer to call it a Locrian natural 9 scale to
help us make that connection instead of naming it some sort of Aeolian scale to keep it in line
with the corresponding major mode.

We’ve already discussed the first mode, the melodic minor scale. Let’s work our way through the
remaining six modes and learn a little bit about each one's melodic and harmonic content.

Mode 2 – Dorian b9
The second mode of the melodic minor scale is Dorian b9. This is one of the modes that is often
overlooked. In fact, the average player utilizes only four modes of the melodic minor scale; the
first, fourth, sixth, and seventh modes are the big four. There’s lots of rich harmony and melodic
content left unexplored in those three remaining modes.
Dorian b9 Spelling: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7

As you can see, the only difference between this scale and the commonly used Dorian mode is
the flatted second (or ninth). The chords that this scale is most commonly played over are minor,
minor7, and minor6 chords. Although we’ll get into more creative uses later.

Here are the five positions for the Dorian b9 scale followed by a short study in the key of E to
introduce the sound to your ears.

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Example 2.1 - E Dorian b9 Etude (Video of performance included with downloads)

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Mode 3 – Lydian Augmented
The third mode of the melodic minor scale is the Lydian Augmented scale, or the Lydian #5.
Another often neglected mode.
Lydian Augmented Spelling: 1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7

This scale contains a major7#5 chord and an augmented triad, as these are chords that a lot of
players don’t find themselves in very often, it can be overlooked. With that said, it can still be used
on regular major chord types.

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Example 2.2 – E Lydian Augmented Etude (Video of performance included with downloads)

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Mode 4 – Lydian Dominant
The fourth mode is the Lydian dominant scale. This is one of the more commonly utilized modes
of the melodic minor scale. It can be found across all different styles of jazz as well as
contemporary blues and fusion playing.
Lydian Dominant Spelling: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7b
This scale is used over dominant seventh chords.

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Example 2.3 – E Lydian Dominant Etude (Video of performance included with downl

oads)

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Mode 5 – Mixolydian b6
The fifth mode is the mixolydian b6 scale. This is another scale that works well over dominant
chords; however, it is much less frequently used than the Lydian dominant scale.
Mixolydian b6 Spelling: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7b

As mentioned above, this scale is mostly used over dominant seventh chords but works especially
well over 7#5 chords and 7(b13) chords.

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Example 2.4 – E Mixolydian b6 etude (Video of performance included with downloads)

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Mode 6 – Locrian natural 9
The sixth mode is the locrian natural nine scale.

Locrian Natural 9 Spelling: 1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 7b

This scale is often used as a go-to for m7b5 chords. It is a little bit brighter and more consonant
that the traditional Locrian scale.

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Example 2.5 – E Locrian natural 9 Etude (Video of performance included with downloads)

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Mode 7 – The Altered Scale
The seventh mode is by far the most revered and most commonly used. The altered scale (also
known as the superlocrian or the diminished-wholetone scale) gets its name from its ability to
work incredibly well over altered dominant chords.
Mixolydian b6 Spelling: 1 b2 #2 3 b5 #5 7b

This scale can be spelled multiple ways. However, I have chosen to spell it in the way that people
use it. This scale contains both a raised and lowered ninth (second) and a raised and lowered fifth,
making it suitable for handling any type of altered chord the band throws at you.

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Example 2.6 – E Altered Scale Etude (Video of performance included with downloads)

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3 Major Chord Applications

Now that you’ve got an idea for each of the seven modes, we’re going to group see what harmonic
contexts they can fit. You might think that the harmonic situations are prescribed by the content
of each mode, that’s only partly true. In reality, we can use these scales over chords that they
wouldn’t normally be associated with by referencing the harmony in our lines. By blending the
underlying chords with the modes, we’ll get a whole new host of sounds and melodic possibilities.
We’re able to tap in to the alterations and extensions of the mode whilst grounding ourselves in
the harmony.

We’ll see this in action as we look at soloing over major chords with the melodic minor scale.
There is only one mode in the melodic minor scale which is appropriate for major chord soloing
and that is the third mode, Lydian Augmented.

By comparing the Lydian Augmented scale to the Major7 chord you’ll see that the scale is missong
some of the chord tones.
C Major7: C E G B

C Lydian Augmented: C D E #F #G A B

People don't link the two sounds because the scale doesn’t contain the note G. However, using
the Lydian Augmented scale is perfectly acceptable if we carry over the G from the underlying
harmony into our playing. This can be done subtly or more egregiously, but all we’re simply
acknowledging is that we know there is a slight mismatch between our scale choice and the chord,
and we can address should we chose to.

The following licks and melodic fragments utilize the C Lydian augmented scale in relationship to
a C major7 chord.

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Example 3.1

Example 3.2

Example 3.3

Example 3.4

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Example 3.5

The following ideas feature the C Lydian Augmented scale being played over the I chord in a ii-V-I
in C major.

Example 3.6

Example 3.7

Example 3.8

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Example 3.9

Example 3.10

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4 Dominant Chord Applications

There are four modes that work over dominant seventh chords. Organized from the least amount
of tension to the most amount of tension, we get:

- Lydian Dominant
- Mixolydian b6

- Dorian b9
- Altered

If you think back to Chapter 2, you might be surprised to see the Dorian b9 scale here, as we
previously defined it as a minor scale. However, if we simply add the major third to the scale or at
least treat the minor third as a tension-filled altered note (the #9), then we get a useful dominant
scale and sound.

Before we get into the dominant licks, I’ve written a short etude that demonstrates using the Dorian
b9 scale as a dominant sound. To do this, I’m pulling the major third from the chord into the scale
at certain points. This has a distinct sound as it has the natural 13th in conjunction with the raised
and lowered ninth.

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Example 4.1 - Etude 8 (Video of performance included with downloads)

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Going back to our four dominant options, let’s work through them in order. Starting with some
melodic ideas with the Lydian Dominant scale. These ideas are for C7.

Example 4.2

Example 4.3

Example 4.4

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Example 4.5

Example 4.6

Now, let's hear it in the context of an ii-V-I. To keep with C Lydian Dominant, the following examples
are ii-V-Is in the key of F. The chords are Gm, C7, and Fmaj7, and we will use C Lydian dominant
over the C7.
Example 4.7

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Example 4.8

Example 4.9

Example 4.10

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Example 4.11

The second dominant scale is Mixolydian b6. Again, we’ll start with short melodic ideas applied
to a C7 chord.
Example 4.12

Example 4.13

Example 4.14

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Example 4.15

Example 4.16

The following examples use C Mixolydian b6 over the C7 in a ii-V-I in F major.

Example 4.17

Example 4.18

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Example 4.19

Example 4.20

Example 4.21

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The third scale for dominant chords is the second mode, the Dorian b9 scale. As mentioned earlier,
this can be combined with the arpeggio of underlying harmony to more specifically reference the
dominant sound. With that being said, you can also play it in its original form, this scale is missing
the third of the chord, giving a suspended sound.
Here are some short melodic ideas demonstrating the scale.

Example 4.22

Example 4.23

Example 4.24

Example 4.25

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Example 4.26

Here is the dorian b9 scale applied to the C7 chord of a ii-V-I in F.

Example 4.27

Example 4.28

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Example 4.29

Example 4.30

Example 4.31

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The last mode, which has the most tensions, is the altered scale. This essentially requires playing
the melodic minor scale a half step above, which means playing Db melodic minor for C7.

Example 4.32

Example 4.33

Example 4.34

Example 4.35

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Example 4.36

The following examples utilize a C altered scale within the context of a ii-v-I in F.

Example 4.37

Example 4.38

Example 4.39

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Example 4.40

Example 4.41

To wrap up this chapter, I’ve combined all four scales in a short, improvised etude for you to learn.
As with all of our etudes, this one is in the key of E. Towards the end of the etude, I cycle through
the four options by moving around fixed structures. This is a great technique for smoothly
blending the tonalities. The parallel voice-leading you get from moving around a single shape is
quite powerful.

Example 4.42 - Etude 9 (Video performance included in downloads)

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5 Minor Chord Applications

The final harmonic setting to explore is the minor chord. Here we have three distinct scale options.
Ordered from least to most tension, we have:

- Melodic Minor
- Dorian b9

- Locrian natural 9

Again, we have an option that most might not have thought possible. The Locrian natural 9 doesn’t
contain the fifth of the minor chord. However, we can reference it should we choose.

Since we already looked at the melodic minor scale in Chapter 1, let’s continue our minor chord
applications here with Dorian b9.
The following examples show melodic Dorian b9 ideas for you to explore.

Example 5.1

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Example 5.2

Example 5.3

Example 5.4

Example 5.5

Next we have it within the context of a ii-V-I in C minor. We’ll be using C Dorian b9 for the i chord.
Example 5.6

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Example 5.7

Example 5.8

Example 5.9

Example 5.10

The final mode is Locrian natural 9. Here are our melodic fragments for the scale as it functions
over a minor chord. Remember, to better suit the harmony you may want to add in the natural fifth
to the scale.

Example 5.11

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Example 5.12

Example 5.13

Example 5.14

Example 5.15

And here are the examples using C Locrian natural 9 over the C minor chord in a ii-V-i in C minor.

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Example 5.16

Example 5.17

Example 5.18

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Example 5.19

Example 5.20

The Locrian natural 9 scale also works over minor7b5 chords. In the following examples, I’m
playing a minor ii-V-i in the key of Bb minor. The chords are Cm7b5, F7, and Bb minor. For the
Cm7b5 chord, I’ll use C Locrian natural 9.

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Example 5.21

Example 5.22

Example 5.23

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Example 5.24

Example 5.25

To complete this section, we have an etude that combines all of the possible minor sounds
together in the key of E.

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Example 5.26 – Etude 10

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6 Melodic Minor Blues Etude

To bring things to a close, I’ve prepared a final etude in the form of a Blues. I’ve gone for a simple
three-chord dominant blues, mixing in traditional dominant and blues scale sounds with more
contemporary melodic minor sounds.

Hopefully, you’ll hear how my melodic and harmonic choices, when informed by the melodic minor
applications discussed in this book, take the fairly straightforward blues form to a completely
different place.

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Example 6.1 – Blues Etude (Video of performance included)

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C onclusion
It’s my hope that through this book, I’ve been able to provide you with a unique perspective on the
melodic minor scale and scales in general. Before I go, I would like to stress the power and
importance of repetition. When it comes to internalizing new fingerings and sounds, you need
frequent exposure to them. Play these ideas often, sing along, listen out for them, and before you
know it, you’ll start to take ownership of the ideas. Don’t store them away and think that just
knowing them is enough. Your ears and fingers need to log some hours with these things to be
able to call on them in the heat of the moment. That process, unfortunately, takes a lot of time
and a lot of conscious, mindful practice. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t get these concepts down
in a few weeks or months. There really is a lifetime worth of study here. So, take your time and go
easy on yourself.

Good luck.

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