F Melodic Minor Scale on Piano

The F Melodic Minor scale sounds smooth and ambiguous. It runs F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – E and is written with two flats.

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

Interval Circle

WHWWWWHC5DbD6EbE7F1GbG2Abb3ABb4B

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)

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

Left Hand (ascending)

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

Why this fingering

2 black keys (Ab, Bb) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto C; 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 F Melodic Minor

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
FF4Root (1)15
GG4Major 2nd (2)24
AbAb4Minor 3rd (b3)33
BbBb4Perfect 4th (4)42
CC5Perfect 5th (5)11
DD5Major 6th (6)23
EE5Major 7th (7)32
FF5Octave (8)41

Other Melodic Minor Scales

C Melodic Minor
C – D – Eb – F – G – A – B
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# – 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 F Scales

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