C Melodic Minor Scale on Piano

The C Melodic Minor scale sounds smooth and ambiguous. It runs C – D – Eb – F – G – A – B and is written with one flat.

It shares its key signature with Eb major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

WHWWWWHC1DbD2Ebb3EF4GbG5AbA6BbB7

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

Raises both the 6th and the 7th, smoothing over the augmented second of harmonic minor. Classical practice lowers them again on the way down; jazz keeps the ascending form in both directions, which is why it is often called the jazz minor.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5

Left Hand (ascending)

5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1

Why this fingering

One black key (Eb) sits in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid it. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto F; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in C Melodic Minor

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
CC4Root (1)15
DD4Major 2nd (2)24
EbEb4Minor 3rd (b3)33
FF4Perfect 4th (4)12
GG4Perfect 5th (5)21
AA4Major 6th (6)33
BB4Major 7th (7)42
CC5Octave (8)51

Other Melodic Minor Scales

C# Melodic Minor
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B#
D Melodic Minor
D – E – F – G – A – B – C#
Eb Melodic Minor
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – D
E Melodic Minor
E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D#
F Melodic Minor
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – E
F# Melodic Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E#
G Melodic Minor
G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F#
G# Melodic Minor
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F##
A Melodic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G#
Bb Melodic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – A
B Melodic Minor
B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A#

Other C Scales

C Major
C – D – E – F – G – A – B
C Natural Minor
C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb
C Harmonic Minor
C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – B
C Major Pentatonic
C – D – E – G – A
C Minor Pentatonic
C – Eb – F – G – Bb
C Blues
C – Eb – F – Gb – G – Bb
C Dorian
C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
C Mixolydian
C – D – E – F – G – A – Bb
C Chromatic
C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B