Melodic Minor vs Dorian
The C melodic minor and the C dorian share 6 notes — C, D, Eb, F, G, A. From there, the C melodic minor adds B, while the C dorian adds Bb.
Ukulele, tuned low to high: G, C, E, A. 12 frets.
- G string: fret 0 G (5 of C Melodic Minor and 5 of C Dorian), fret 2 A (6 of C Melodic Minor and 6 of C Dorian), fret 3 Bb (flat 7), fret 4 B (7), fret 5 C (root of C Melodic Minor and root of C Dorian), fret 7 D (2 of C Melodic Minor and 2 of C Dorian), fret 8 Eb (flat 3 of C Melodic Minor and flat 3 of C Dorian), fret 10 F (4 of C Melodic Minor and 4 of C Dorian), fret 12 G (5 of C Melodic Minor and 5 of C Dorian).
- C string: fret 0 C (root of C Melodic Minor and root of C Dorian), fret 2 D (2 of C Melodic Minor and 2 of C Dorian), fret 3 Eb (flat 3 of C Melodic Minor and flat 3 of C Dorian), fret 5 F (4 of C Melodic Minor and 4 of C Dorian), fret 7 G (5 of C Melodic Minor and 5 of C Dorian), fret 9 A (6 of C Melodic Minor and 6 of C Dorian), fret 10 Bb (flat 7), fret 11 B (7), fret 12 C (root of C Melodic Minor and root of C Dorian).
- E string: fret 1 F (4 of C Melodic Minor and 4 of C Dorian), fret 3 G (5 of C Melodic Minor and 5 of C Dorian), fret 5 A (6 of C Melodic Minor and 6 of C Dorian), fret 6 Bb (flat 7), fret 7 B (7), fret 8 C (root of C Melodic Minor and root of C Dorian), fret 10 D (2 of C Melodic Minor and 2 of C Dorian), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Melodic Minor and flat 3 of C Dorian).
- A string: fret 0 A (6 of C Melodic Minor and 6 of C Dorian), fret 1 Bb (flat 7), fret 2 B (7), fret 3 C (root of C Melodic Minor and root of C Dorian), fret 5 D (2 of C Melodic Minor and 2 of C Dorian), fret 6 Eb (flat 3 of C Melodic Minor and flat 3 of C Dorian), fret 8 F (4 of C Melodic Minor and 4 of C Dorian), fret 10 G (5 of C Melodic Minor and 5 of C Dorian), fret 12 A (6 of C Melodic Minor and 6 of C Dorian).
Both scales above are drawn on one ukulele 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 |
|---|---|
| Melodic Minor | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 |
| Dorian | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · b7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Melodic Minor | In Dorian |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| D | 2 | 2 |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| F | 4 | 4 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| A | 6 | 6 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the melodic minor: B (7)
- Only in the dorian: Bb (b7)