G Melodic Minor Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in DADGAD tuning — fretboard diagram
G Melodic Minor in DADGAD — Notes and Intervals
The G 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 G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#. 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 G Melodic Minor are Gm6, Am7, Bb+maj7, C7, D7, Em7b5, F#m7b5. 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: G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#
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: DADGAD (D-A-D-G-A-D)
Diatonic Chords
Gm6 — Am7 — B♭+maj7 — C7 — D7 — Em7♭5 — F♯m7♭5
About DADGAD Tuning
DADGAD tuning creates an open Dsus4 chord when strummed open, producing a hauntingly beautiful, droning sound that has become synonymous with Celtic folk music and modern acoustic songwriting. The tuning's natural resonance and overtones make even simple fingerpicking patterns sound rich and complex.
Popularized by Davey Graham in the 1960s and later championed by Pierre Bensusan and Jimmy Page, DADGAD has become one of the most beloved alternate tunings for acoustic guitarists. Its suspended quality — neither clearly major nor minor — creates an ethereal, meditative atmosphere that invites exploration. The tuning excels at creating drone-based arrangements where open strings ring against fretted notes.
Notable artists: Pierre Bensusan, Jimmy Page, Andy McKee, Davey Graham, Laurence Juber
Best for: Celtic folk, acoustic songwriting, drone-based fingerpicking, and meditative compositions
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