B Melodic Minor Scale: Notes, Chords, and How to Play It
The B melodic minor scale carries five sharps and offers a rich harmonic landscape for jazz and classical composition. With its smooth voice leading and distinctive chord qualities, B melodic minor is a rewarding key to explore once you are comfortable with the melodic minor concept in simpler keys like A or D.
What Makes the Melodic Minor Different?
The melodic minor scale can be thought of as a major scale with a flattened third — or, equivalently, a natural minor scale with its sixth and seventh degrees raised. This dual identity gives it a unique character: minor enough for emotional depth, but with the strong leading tone and smooth voice leading that natural minor lacks.
For a full comparison of all three minor scale types, see Minor Scales: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic.
Notes of the B Melodic Minor Scale
The B melodic minor scale contains seven notes:
B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A#
Starting from B, the scale follows the melodic minor interval pattern — W – H – W – W – W – W – H — and arrives back at B one octave higher. Compared to B natural minor (B–C#–D–E–F#–G–A), the sixth and seventh degrees are raised: G becomes G# and A becomes A#.
| Degree | Note | Interval from Root | Step to Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Root) | B | Unison | Whole step |
| 2 | C# | Major 2nd | Half step |
| 3 | D | Minor 3rd | Whole step |
| 4 | E | Perfect 4th | Whole step |
| 5 | F# | Perfect 5th | Whole step |
| 6 | G# | Major 6th | Whole step |
| 7 | A# | Major 7th | Half step |
| 8 | B | Octave | – |
The half steps fall between C#–D (degrees 2–3) and A#–B (degrees 7–8). The only difference from B major (B–C#–D#–E–F#–G#–A#) is the flattened third: D instead of D#.
Classical vs Jazz Usage
In classical theory, the melodic minor descends differently — reverting to the natural minor form:
- Ascending: B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A# – B
- Descending: B – A – G – F# – E – D – C# – B
In jazz and contemporary music, the ascending form is used in both directions. This article focuses on the ascending (jazz) form, which is the version used in the Interactive Chord Finder.
B Melodic Minor on Piano
On the piano, B melodic minor uses four black keys (C#, F#, G#, A#). The scale begins on the white key B, moves to C# (black), D (white), E (white), F# (black), G# (black), A# (black), and returns to B. The three consecutive black keys at the top (F#, G#, A#) create a distinctive physical pattern under the fingers.
Right hand fingering (ascending): 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 (thumb crosses under after D, then fingers walk up to B)
Left hand fingering (ascending): 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 (after the thumb plays E, the fourth finger crosses over to F#)
The grouping of black keys makes the upper half of this scale feel natural on the keyboard, as the hand sits comfortably across the raised keys.
B Melodic Minor on Guitar
On guitar, the B melodic minor scale is commonly played starting from the 7th fret of the 6th string or the 2nd fret of the 5th string.
Second position (low to high):
| String | Fret | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 5th (A) | 2 | B |
| 5th (A) | 4 | C# |
| 4th (D) | 0 | D |
| 4th (D) | 2 | E |
| 4th (D) | 4 | F# |
| 3rd (G) | 1 | G# |
| 3rd (G) | 3 | A# |
| 3rd (G) | 4 | B |
This pattern covers one octave from B on the 5th string to B on the 3rd string. The mix of open and fretted notes provides a good workout for left-hand positioning.
Use the guitar fretboard view in the Interactive Chord Finder to see all positions at once.
Diatonic Chords in B Melodic Minor
Stacking thirds on each degree of the B melodic minor scale produces seven triads:
| Degree | Chord | Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Minor | B – D – F# |
| ii | C#m | Minor | C# – E – G# |
| III+ | Daug | Augmented | D – F# – A# |
| IV | E | Major | E – G# – B |
| V | F# | Major | F# – A# – C# |
| vi° | G#dim | Diminished | G# – B – D |
| vii° | A#dim | Diminished | A# – C# – E |
The pattern minor – minor – augmented – major – major – diminished – diminished is consistent across all melodic minor keys.
Seventh Chords
Adding a fourth note to each triad:
| Degree | Chord | Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| imMaj7 | Bm(maj7) | Minor-major 7th | B – D – F# – A# |
| ii7 | C#m7 | Minor 7th | C# – E – G# – B |
| III+maj7 | Dmaj7#5 | Augmented major 7th | D – F# – A# – C# |
| IV7 | E7 | Dominant 7th | E – G# – B – D |
| V7 | F#7 | Dominant 7th | F# – A# – C# – E |
| viø7 | G#m7b5 | Half-diminished | G# – B – D – F# |
| viiø7 | A#m7b5 | Half-diminished | A# – C# – E – G# |
The IV7 chord (E7) is the Lydian dominant sound, and the altered scale built from the seventh degree (A#) provides essential vocabulary for jazz improvisation over altered dominant chords.
Modes of the Melodic Minor
The B melodic minor scale generates these modes:
| Mode | Starting Degree | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | B | Melodic minor | Smooth minor |
| 2nd | C# | Dorian b2 | Dark, Phrygian-like |
| 3rd | D | Lydian augmented | Bright, expansive |
| 4th | E | Lydian dominant | Bright but bluesy |
| 5th | F# | Mixolydian b6 | Bittersweet major |
| 6th | G# | Locrian #2 | Dark, half-diminished |
| 7th | A# | Altered / Super Locrian | Tense, unstable |
Common Chord Progressions in B Melodic Minor
| Progression | Chords | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| i – IV – V – i | Bm – E – F# – Bm | Jazz, fusion |
| i – II – V – i | Bm – C#m – F#7 – Bm | Jazz minor ii-V-i |
| i – ii – V – i | Bm(maj7) – C#m7 – F#7 – Bm(maj7) | Jazz ballads |
| i – IV7 – viiø7 – III+ | Bm – E7 – A#m7b5 – Daug | Modern jazz |
| i – iv – V7 – i | Bm – Em – F#7 – Bm | Classical minor |
Relationship to Other Minor Scales
| Scale | Notes | 6th | 7th |
|---|---|---|---|
| B natural minor | B–C#–D–E–F#–G–A | G (minor 6th) | A (minor 7th) |
| B harmonic minor | B–C#–D–E–F#–G–A# | G (minor 6th) | A# (major 7th) |
| B melodic minor | B–C#–D–E–F#–G#–A# | G# (major 6th) | A# (major 7th) |
The harmonic minor raises only the seventh, creating the augmented second (G to A#). The melodic minor raises both the sixth and seventh, smoothing out the voice leading.
Practice Tips
Compare with natural minor. Play B natural minor, then B melodic minor. The raised G# and A# bring a new warmth and resolution to the scale.
Work on the black key grouping. The three consecutive black keys (F#, G#, A#) in the upper half require careful fingering — practise this section slowly until it flows.
Play in thirds. B–D, C#–E, D–F#, E–G# and so on. This intervallic approach is essential for building melodic vocabulary.
Explore the Lydian dominant. Starting the scale from E produces the Lydian dominant mode — one of the most useful sounds in jazz.
Use a metronome. Start at 60–80 BPM and increase speed only when every note is clean.
Try It Yourself
Open the Interactive Chord Finder, select B as the root and Melodic Minor (asc) as the scale. You will see every note highlighted on the piano keyboard or guitar fretboard, the step pattern visualised as intervals, and all diatonic chords laid out in a table — ready to play and explore.
For the complete list of scales in every key, see Scales for Piano and Guitar: The Complete Reference Guide.
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