Jazz Etude #5

By
Per Danielsson

Melodic minor scale

The melodic minor scale is often used over Dominant 7 chords. For instance, if you have a
C7alt chord, you would use the C altered scale which is the Db melodic minor, played from C-C. This
scale is also called super locrian or diminished whole-tone. This etude will demonstrate how to use
the melodic minor scale over each of the chords in a minor ii-V-i progresson.The tricky part is that
you have to think of three different melodic minor scales.

When using the melodic minor over a ii( 5) chord you should use the 6th mode of the melodic
minor scale. If the chord is Dmin7( 5), use F melodic minor. (D is the sixth scale degree of F melodic
minor). It might be easier to think of the melodic minor scale a minor third above, or a sixth below the
chord.

ii chord

Dmin7(b5)
1
9
b3

& w

b5

b6

w bw bw

w7

w1

F melodic minor, played from D-D

G7 alt

V chord

bw
& w bw bw nw #w
1

b9

#9

#11 b13

Ab melodic minor, played from G-G

Cmin(Maj7)

i chord

& w

b3

w bw

Maj7 1

C melodic minor, played from C-C

A nice tension effect is created by playing a min(maj7) before resolving to min7 chord. The
melodic minor scale fits over the min(Maj7) chord.
Practice the following etude slowly and listen carefully to the melodic minor sound. In the fourth
bar of each key the chord resolves to a minor 7th chord with a dorian sound.
When you are comfortable with the scales, use them to create patterns and ideas of your own
to experiment with in your improvisation.
Good luck,
Per Danielsson
Copyright 2003 Mel Bay Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

F melodic minor

& 4 b b
b

C melodic minor

b
&
b
b www Am7( 5)
? w

b
b b n
b

C melodic minor

b b
b

13
b ww G7(b 9 )
b ww

Dm7( 5)

w
? 44 b www

Ab melodic minor

b b b

Eb melodic minor

b 13
b9 )
(
b
w
w
b # ww
D7

G melodic minor

Bb melodic minor

wwCm(maj7)
b ww

b www
bw

Cmin9

G melodic minor

b #

C dorian

G dorian

w
# b www

Gm(maj7)

Gmin9
bn wwww

D melodic minor

D dorian

3
3

#
b b b

& # b

Em7(b 5)
Dm(maj7)
ww A7(bb 13
ww
wwD min9
w
b
#
n
9 )
b
w
b
w
ww
ww
w
? ww

F melodic minor

& #
D melodic minor

ww
?w

w
b ww

Bm7( 5)

A melodic minor

& # #
#

ww
? # ww

E melodic minor

# #
#

C m7( 5)

? # wwww

(bb 139 )

C melodic minor

b
# wwww B7(b 13
9 )

F m7( 5)

&

E7

G melodic minor

# #
# wwww

b 13
#
b
(
7
F
9 )

A melodic
#minor
#
wwAm(maj7)
w
# w

w
n www

# #

# # www Em(maj7)
w

n # www Emin9
w

B melodic minor

Bm(maj7)

E dorian

# # # www
w

Amin9

E melodic minor

# #

A dorian

B dorian

#
Bmin9

n # # www
w

# # # # n#
#

#
# #
& ## #
B melodic minor

ww
w

Gb melodic minor

& b b b n
b

b b

b ww
b
? b ww

E m7( 5)

bn
& b b

b b b

bb wwwB m7( 5)
?
Ab melodic minor

&

#
#

b 13
b
(
7
ww A b 9 )

b b

b n

b www
b
? w

Eb melodic minor

b
b

Cm7( 5)

? b b b wwww

Bb melodic minor

b
b

&

b b

b b

B melodic minor

Gm7( 5)

bw
? b ww

b ww B b7(b 13
9 )
w
bw
Gb melodic minor

b b n

Db dorian

b n
b b
3

D bmin9
b
b b b wwww

D bm(maj7)

Ab melodic minor

b b

b b

b 13
(
7 b )
b bb wwww F 9

b 13
(
C7 b 9 )
b b b wwww

Eb dorian

b b

ww
b
b ww

Bb melodic minor

b b b
b

b wwww

B m(maj7)

w
b b b www

E min9

Bb dorian

w
b b www

B min9 3

F melodic minor

b
Fm(maj7)

b wwww

A min9
b
# b wwww

E m(maj7)

b
b b n # b

Db melodic minor

Ab dorian

Eb melodic minor

b b b

b b b

A bm(maj7)
b
w
# www

b wwwE 7( 9)

# wwww
# w

b
b b wwww

E melodic minor

# #
F m7

Db melodic minor

A melodic minor

F# dorian

# www
# w

# #

#
b b n
Fm7( 5)

&

F# melodic minor

F m(maj7)

b ww

Db melodic minor

# b

C 7( 9)

G m7( 5)

w
? # ww

D melodic minor

F dorian

w
Fmin7

w
b b www