Find the Melodic Minor: Minor With a Major Top

The short answer: Find the Melodic Minor drills melodic minor — natural minor with both the 6th and 7th raised (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7). It smooths out harmonic minor's awkward leap and gives a minor scale with a bright, major-like upper half. A staple of jazz. Key plus zone; find it, fast.

What the game is

You get a key and a zone and find the seven notes. With a minor 3rd on the bottom and a major-scale top, the game trains you to see a scale that is half dark, half bright.

What it teaches

• The raised 6 and 7 that separate it from natural and harmonic minor.
• Why jazz reaches for it constantly.
• Melodic minor shapes across the neck.

Why it's cool

A minor ♭3 with a major-scale upper half is a uniquely smooth, sophisticated sound — minor without the melodrama. It is one of the most useful scales in jazz for exactly that reason.

Where to start

Read harmonic minor vs melodic minor to hear the difference. Know natural minor first.