Harmonic Minor vs Melodic Minor
The C harmonic minor and the C melodic minor share 6 notes — C, D, Eb, F, G, B. From there, the C harmonic minor adds Ab, while the C melodic minor adds A.
Guitar · 6-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G, B, e. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 1 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 3 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 4 Ab (flat 6), fret 5 A (6), fret 7 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 8 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 10 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 13 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 15 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 16 Ab (flat 6), fret 17 A (6), fret 19 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 20 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 22 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor).
- A string: fret 0 A (6), fret 2 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 3 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 5 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 6 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 8 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 10 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 11 Ab (flat 6), fret 12 A (6), fret 14 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 15 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 17 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 18 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 20 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 22 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 23 Ab (flat 6), fret 24 A (6).
- D string: fret 0 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 1 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 3 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 5 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 6 Ab (flat 6), fret 7 A (6), fret 9 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 10 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 12 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 13 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 15 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 17 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 18 Ab (flat 6), fret 19 A (6), fret 21 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 22 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 24 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor).
- G string: fret 0 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 1 Ab (flat 6), fret 2 A (6), fret 4 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 5 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 7 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 8 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 10 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 12 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 13 Ab (flat 6), fret 14 A (6), fret 16 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 17 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 19 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 20 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 22 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 24 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor).
- B string: fret 0 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 1 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 3 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 4 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 6 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 8 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 9 Ab (flat 6), fret 10 A (6), fret 12 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 13 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 15 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 16 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 18 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 20 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 21 Ab (flat 6), fret 22 A (6), fret 24 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor).
- e string: fret 1 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 3 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 4 Ab (flat 6), fret 5 A (6), fret 7 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 8 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 10 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), fret 13 F (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), fret 15 G (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), fret 16 Ab (flat 6), fret 17 A (6), fret 19 B (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), fret 20 C (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), fret 22 D (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor).
Both scales above are drawn on one guitar fretboard in the key of C. Notes belonging to both are drawn as a split two-color dot, so the notes they share and the notes unique to each are visible in one picture.
How the formulas differ
Scale degrees are the key-independent way to compare two scales — these stay the same in every key, and they are what actually distinguishes one scale from another.
| Scale | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Harmonic Minor | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · 7 |
| Melodic Minor | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Harmonic Minor | In Melodic Minor |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| D | 2 | 2 |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| F | 4 | 4 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| B | 7 | 7 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the harmonic minor: Ab (b6)
- Only in the melodic minor: A (6)