melodic minor scale

The melodic minor is perhaps the ultimate hermaphroditic minor / major scale. Why? Well, it contains a minor third, defining it's overall tonality, but it's sixth and seventh degree are raised a half step, just like the major scale. The major seventh, or leading tone, is an integral component of the cadential motion in both of the minor and major tonalities. So, the best of both in one! Compare the following groups of pitches. Example 1.

Here is the music. Example 1a.

Hear the difference? It is in the raising of the sixth and seventh degrees that creates this important color. So why is the melodic minor grouping of pitches important to the improvising musician? Well, it is mainly a jazz color, the melodic minor can play an important role in the world of jazz substitution. Rarely do the rockers, country or blues guys go this far out on the melodic limb. Those styles of music are usually too tonally based and predictable to introduce a color with one foot in each of the main two tonal environments, i.e., major and minor. In the world of jazz improvisation, the melodic minor is often times referred to as the "jazz melodic minor", or even more simply as the "jazz minor." The melodic minor scale could be viewed as simply a major scale with a lowered third, but then it wouldn't be major anymore, would it? Maybe this is just a good way to remember how to create one, simply lower just the third degree of the major scale one half step to create a jazz melodic minor. Here is the sound. Example 2.

The substitution aspect of the melodic minor color is oftentimes found in its use with dominant harmony. The melodic minor group of pitches contains intervals and pitches that make it applicable to various configurations of dominant seventh chords. How? Well, in the upper components of the dominant seventh chord, there are a myriad of different possible combinations and alterations to the upper structure components. These "upper components" are simply pitches of the extended dominant arpeggio, which many times are "altered" up or down chromatically creating new "hues" of the dominant function and lots of cool voice leading possibilities. The melodic minor group of pitches is a solid, unified color that we can substitute over the dominant harmony, providing a relatively stable group of pitches to create melodic ideas from. Here is an idea attempting to capture this quality. Using Ab melodic minor over G 7b9 resolving to C minor. Example 3.

To expand this last thought a bit, another aspect of this melodic minor substituting is potentially part of what of some very cool ideas. As perhaps you already know, the fully diminished seventh chord can play a pretty big role in the performance of jazz standards, which potentially are the tunes where jazz players "cut their teeth" so to speak, to learn the jazz language, its elements and how these elements are artistically put together. Standards also are an easy way into the rhythmic world of swing, in that the "swing thing" is oftentimes "built right in" to so many accessible jazz standards. I guess that is part of the reason why they are called standards. 

Be it as it may, and depending on your artistic directions, the diminished color can play a sizable role in the functional harmony of the music. Thinking along these lines, add the idea that the diminished color is also a pretty obvious and recognizable sound to the seasoned ear, and like anything else, after a period of time and continual use, becomes sort of "tired", eventually becoming a bit redundant to the artist and possibly to their listeners? The gradual substituting of the "softer" melodic minor color, both melodically and harmonically, in place of the more "obvious" diminished color, on potentially any and all of the positions where the diminished color is usually found, greatly changes the complexion of the sense of tonal gravity in the music and opens up an artistic vista that makes the Grand Canyon look like a postcard. Sorry, just kidding. Pour moi, after working with the diminished color for a few years, the gradual softening of the diminished to the melodic minor color became the next major area of the explore and experiment phase of artistic growth. Which continues as I write this. Comparing the diminished color to the "softened" melodic minor. Example 4.

Sound similar? They are fairly close in color. My artistic concept has simply evolved to where the diminished sound and all of its amazing color and resolving properties are gradually being enhanced and expanded by the softer melodic minor group, creating a whole new sound and new areas for continual growth and expansion. I first sensed my new artistic direction while experiencing the Wynton Marsalis Quintet. Not that I could theoretically understand their music, no, but for the first time I could really sense and feel the "blurring" of the tonality. The "blurring" of tension as it was being created and the "blurring" of its release. There seemed to be few if any "barlines", either melodically, harmonically or rhythmically and "hard" cadences seemed to be reserved for near the end of the piece and the final hold. This "blurring", I gradually came to sense and believe, was chromatically based, and I was initially able to recreate the sensation myself by "softening" the diminished color into the melodic minor group and using this new color in the old, established diminished ways. Cool with this? We'll take up this topic in great detail in the musical proofs discussion. Go there now if you are curious and explore the similarities between these two important colors. Here is an example in the minor tonality of how we can momentarily "blur" the intended direction using the combined principles of the melodic minor and diminished color properties. Example 5.

Dig the sound? Similar idea into the major tonal environment. Example 6.

Of course this temporary "blurring" can be extended, sometimes refereed to as the "strength of the player", creating longer ideas which obscure or disguise tonal direction are oftentimes a next step in an artists' evolution, once they are comfortable in a more tonal setting. Artistically venturing in this direction brought my "musical universe" a whole new dimension, and all that I can really say is that this dimension is a very cool and relaxed place to hang. It is definitely more chromatic than diatonic in nature, which spells disaster for a lot of the "conventional" sounding music and established musical styles. I think any style of American music can be chromatically "enhanced" safely, artistically and to the benefit of all participants. But when the chromatic properties become the basis of the music and how it is understood by the collaborating players, or solo player for that matter, the complexion of the music and it's effect on the listeners can really change. Bridging from the diminished to the melodic minor colors is perhaps one way to get there.

But now I do stray too far from the topic under discussion. Whether this "artistic direction" and "theoretical evolution of the resources" is cool for you, only you can decide. One way to decide is to "exhaust" the available resources, then choose what best expresses your artistic statement. The idea is to try and continue to evolve artistically, we never know when something new and cool will come along, and so much of the "new and cool" can be understood and enhanced by knowing the theory. So, back to the theory.

Here is a melodic minor chart to sharpen your knowledge of the letter names and intervals of the melodic minor group through the 12 tonal centers, following the cycle of fifths. Example 5.

Here are the sounds of the above groups of pitches. Try to play through the melodic minor color in all 12 keys. As these groups become more firmly under your fingers, expand them through the entire range of your horn and phrase them with your best tone and as dynamically expressive as you can. In the following exercise we back the lines with minor triads. So, if the 12 major scales are under your fingers, these should cook right along, major scale / lowered 3rd = melodic minor. Example 6.

Ab melodic minor

Db melodic minor

F# melodic minor

B melodic minor

E melodic minor

Here is the extended version for shedding the melodic minor color for one key. Try to adapt this shaping of the line to the other 11 keys, do it from memory and gradually over the years extend the range of the melodic minor color throughout your horn. Example 7.

In the following example, we simply take one melodic idea created from the pitches of the melodic minor group and transpose it through the 12 minor tonal centers. Same changes as above. Example 9.

Click musical proof to further explore the melodic minor color within this text.

Where to next?

review new ideas

"If opportunity does not knock, build a door."

Milton Berle