Ukulele · melodic minor

E♭ melodic minor scale on ukulele

The E♭ melodic minor scale has seven notes: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C and D (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7). A minor scale with a major 6th and 7th, or a major scale with a flat 3rd. The jazz minor: smooth over m6 and m(maj7) chords.

The notes of the E♭ melodic minor scale
NoteE♭FG♭A♭B♭CD
Interval1 (root)2♭34567
Step to the nextwholehalfwholewholewholewholehalf
Make a practice sheet of it
The whole neckevery E♭ melodic minor scale note from the nut to fret 15, the root a diamond
GCEA135791215open4567R2♭34567R2♭34567R2♭34567R2♭3567R2♭3456

3 positions to learn it in

Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.

Open positionfrets 0–4
GCEA13open4567R2♭3456
Frets 2–6frets 2–6
GCEA235567R2♭3♭34567R
Frets 10–14frets 10–14
GCEA10122♭345677R2♭345

Chords that go with the E♭ melodic minor scale

The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; E♭ (E♭m) is where it sounds at home.

Scales with the same notes

Compare the E♭ minor scale, its natural minor.

Questions

What notes are in the E♭ melodic minor scale?

E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C and D. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7, and the steps between its notes are W H W W W W H (W a whole step, H a half step).

What chords go with the E♭ melodic minor scale?

The chords made only of its notes: E♭m, Fm, G♭aug, A♭, B♭, Cdim and Ddim, and as seventh chords Fm7, A♭7, B♭7, Cm7♭5 and Dm7♭5. E♭ is home: E♭m is the chord it sounds most settled over.

The melodic minor scale in every key

CC♯DE♭EFF♯GG♯AB♭B

Other scales in E♭

E♭ majorE♭ minorE♭ minor pentatonicE♭ major pentatonicE♭ bluesE♭ DorianE♭ MixolydianE♭ LydianE♭ PhrygianE♭ harmonic minorE♭ Phrygian dominant

Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: ukulele scales. This scale on guitar, bass, mandolin and banjo.