C Melodic Minor Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram
C Melodic Minor in 7-string — Notes and Intervals
The C Melodic Minor scale, often called the Jazz Minor, offers a more sophisticated and fluid sound than the natural minor. On Guitar, it contains the notes C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B. It is a vital tool for modern jazz improvisation, allowing players to navigate complex dominant chords and create elegant, tension-filled melodic lines that avoid the exotic jump of the harmonic minor. The diatonic chords of C Melodic Minor are Cm6, Dm7, Eb+maj7, F7, G7, Am7b5, Bm7b5. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Contemporary Classical, Progressive. Notable players include Pat Metheny, John Coltrane, Allan Holdsworth. Use over m(Maj7), m6 chords. Its modes cover nearly every altered dominant situation in jazz. The 'jazz minor' is the single most important advanced scale system.
Notes: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
Formula: W-H-W-W-W-W-H
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Diatonic Chords
Cm6 — Dm7 — E♭+maj7 — F7 — G7 — Am7♭5 — Bm7♭5
About 7-string Tuning
The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.
Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.
Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah
Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony
Musical Character
In jazz, only the ascending form is used (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7). It is the parent scale for seven crucial modes including the Altered scale and Lydian Dominant.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- vi – viM7 – vi7 – II (Descending Minor Cliché)Classical / Pop — Romance & Intrigue