D# Melodic Minor on Guitar
The D# melodic minor scale is D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B# and C##. With C##, E# and B# in the list, this spelling lives on paper only, so use Eb melodic minor for the same sound without the clutter. The root is on the 11th fret of the low E string.
Play the D# melodic minor scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the D# melodic minor scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| D# | 1 | Root | 0 |
| E# | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| F# | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| G# | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| A# | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| B# | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| C## | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
D# melodic minor scale notes:
How the melodic minor scale is built:
The melodic minor scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W-W-W-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is the parent scale of its own modal family.
It is also known as Jazz Minor.
D# Melodic Minor Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (D)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the D# melodic minor scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the melodic minor scale, starting from a different degree.
The melodic minor scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
