C# Melodic Minor Scale on Piano

The C# Melodic Minor scale sounds smooth and ambiguous. It runs C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B# and is written with six sharps.

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

Interval Circle

WHWWWWHB#7C#1DD#2Eb3FF#4GG#5AA#6B

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)

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

Left Hand (ascending)

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

Why this fingering

5 black keys (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto E and B#; 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
C#C#4Root (1)23
D#D#4Major 2nd (2)32
EE4Minor 3rd (b3)11
F#F#4Perfect 4th (4)24
G#G#4Perfect 5th (5)33
A#A#4Major 6th (6)42
B#B#4Major 7th (7)11
C#C#5Octave (8)23

Other Melodic Minor Scales

C Melodic Minor
C – D – Eb – 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# Natural Minor
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B
C# Harmonic Minor
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B#
C# Minor Pentatonic
C# – E – F# – G# – B
C# Blues
C# – E – F# – G – G# – B
C# Dorian
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B