F♯ Melodic Minor Scale (F#)
The F# melodic minor scale goes up as F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E# – F#. Coming down it is F# natural minor: F# – E – D – C# – B – A – G# – F#. The 6th and 7th are raised going up (D to D#, E to E#) and restored coming down, all written as accidentals in the key signature of F# minor (3 sharps: F#, C# and G#).
| Up | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D# | E# | F# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Left hand | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Down | F# | E | D | C# | B | A | G# | F# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Left hand | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Piano fingering for one octave, read left to right as you play it; 1 is the thumb. Coming down the notes are the natural minor's, so the fingers are too.
F# melodic minor scale fingering
Right hand, going up: the thumb tucks under to A and E#. Left hand, going up: finger 3 crosses over the thumb to C# and finger 4 crosses over the thumb to F#. Coming down, the right thumb plays A and D and the left thumb plays B and E. Practise each hand alone, slowly, until the turns are smooth, then play hands together.
Going up vs coming down
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D# | E# |
| Down | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D | E |
The first five notes never change. Going up, D# and E# lead smoothly to F# and avoid the three-semitone gap of F# harmonic minor. Coming down there is no leading note to serve, so the scale falls back to E and D, the notes of F# natural minor.
What F# melodic minor is used for
In classical music it shapes melodies: a line rising to F# takes D# and E#, and a line falling from it takes E and D. In jazz the ascending notes are played in both directions, and it is often called the jazz minor scale, used over tonic minor chords such as F#m and F#m6.
Chords that change from natural minor
| Degree | Natural minor | Melodic Minor |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | G#dim (ii°) | G#m (ii) |
| 3 | A (III) | Aaug (III+) |
| 4 | Bm (iv) | B (IV) |
| 5 | C#m (v) | C# (V) |
| 6 | D (VI) | D#dim (vi°) |
| 7 | E (VII) | E#dim (vii°) |
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from F# | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| F# | 1 | root | 0 |
| G# | 2 | major 2nd | 2 |
| A | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| B | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| C# | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| D# | 6 | major 6th | 9 |
| E# | 7 | major 7th | 11 |
Step pattern
Going up, the melodic minor scale is built from the pattern W – H – W – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same scale in a different key.
Key signature
F# minor has 3 sharps: F#, C# and G#, and melodic minor uses the same key signature. Going up, D# and E# are written as accidentals; coming down they are cancelled. See the key of F# minor for its chords.
Chords in F# melodic minor, going up
These triads are stacked from the ascending notes, which is how jazz harmony uses the scale. Coming down, the chords are those of F# minor.
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | F#m | F# A C# |
| 2 | ii | G#m | G# B D# |
| 3 | III+ | Aaug | A C# E# |
| 4 | IV | B | B D# F# |
| 5 | V | C# | C# E# G# |
| 6 | vi° | D#dim | D# F# A |
| 7 | vii° | E#dim | E# G# B |
More scales on F#
Melodic Minor scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the F# melodic minor scale?
The F# melodic minor scale contains F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E#, then returns to F# an octave higher. That is the ascending form; coming down it plays F#, E, D, C#, B, A, G#, F#.
Is F# melodic minor the same going up and coming down?
No. Going up it plays F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E#. Coming down it plays the natural minor: F#, E, D, C#, B, A, G#, F#. Only the 6th and 7th differ. Jazz players often use the ascending notes both ways.
What key signature does F# melodic minor use?
The key signature of F# minor: 3 sharps: F#, C# and G#. The raised 6th and 7th are written as accidentals.
What is the fingering for the F# melodic minor scale on piano?
Going up, the right hand plays 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 and the left hand plays 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4, where 1 is the thumb. Coming down, the notes change, so the fingers come from the natural minor: from the top note the right hand plays 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 and the left hand plays 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4.
What is the step pattern of the melodic minor scale?
It follows the pattern W – H – W – W – W – W – H, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.