Scales & Modes
D♭ Melodic Minor
Neck DiagramMinor with raised sixth and seventh (the ascending form). The jazz minor scale.
How it sounds, and where to use it
Often described as mysterious and jazzy. Hear it in 1960s John Coltrane.
How usual it sounds: nearly side by side on the circle of fifths: familiar, with a touch of color. (2 gaps round the circle of fifths. See its shape.)
Solo with it over:D♭mD♭sus4D♭sus2D♭m6D♭mMaj7
Chords on D♭ made only from this scale's notes, so every note of the scale sits safely over them.
Formula: W-H-W-W-W-W-H · Arpeggios in D♭ Melodic Minor
Key signature of: E Major (the relative major of its minor key; it has no relative of its own) · Parallel major: D♭ Major (same root, only the 3rd differs)
| Step | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | D♭ | E♭ | F♭ | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C |
| Degree | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Interval | P1 | M2 | m3 | P4 | P5 | M6 | M7 |
Degree and Interval are the same thing written two ways: how far each note is from the root (♭3 and m3 here). See them all on the Intervals page → Click either one in the table to open that interval.
Modes
Two octaves across; each mode starts one scale degree later and is numbered from its own root. ▶ plays a mode.
The same notes, started from each degree: the degrees against major, the steps between them, and the notes.
| # | Degrees and steps | Notes | Name(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 12♭345678WHWWWWH | D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ | Melodic Minor | |
| II | 1♭2♭3456♭78HWWWWHW | E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ | Dorian ♭2 | |
| III | 123♯4♯5678WWWWHWH | E F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E | Lydian Augmented | |
| IV | 123♯456♭78WWWHWHW | F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E F♯ | Lydian Dominant | |
| V | 12345♭6♭78WWHWHWW | A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ | Hindu | |
| VI | 12♭34♭5♭6♭78WHWHWWW | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ | Locrian ♮2 | |
| VII | 1♭2♭3♭4♭5♭6♭78HWHWWWW | C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C | Super Locrian |
For more on modes, check out
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