Scale guide
C melodic minor
In one sentence: In the jazz form, C melodic minor keeps its raised 6th and 7th going up and down.
RH ↑ blue numbersLH ↑ red numbers
Only Eb appears on a black key; the rest of the scale sits on white keys.
Notes
| US notation | Degrees |
|---|---|
| C D Eb F G A B | 1–2–♭3–4–5–6–7 |
C
D
Eb
F
G
A · 6
B · 7
Fingering
| Hand / direction | 1 octave | 2 octaves |
|---|---|---|
| RH ascending | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 |
| LH ascending | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 |
| RH descending | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 |
| LH descending | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 |
Use
In jazz, hear A and B as the color that separates this scale from natural minor. Classical practice often descends with natural minor; that is historical context only: this pill practises the jazz form.
Musical context
Melodic minor appears frequently in modern jazz vocabulary; here its color comes from the major 6th and 7th over a minor center.
Guided practice
- Play one octave with each hand, very slowly.
- Say “Eb, A, B” while going up and down.
- Join hands only when the crossings are silent.
- End each repetition on C and hear the resting point.
Common mistakes
- Descending with Ab and Bb: that is the classical option, not this pill’s jazz form.
- Speeding up before finger 1 crosses without tension.
Checklist
- I keep A and B in both directions.
- I follow the one- and two-octave fingerings.
- I can hear C as a minor center.