Characteristic Chords of the Melodic Minor Scale
| Chord | I chord | II chord | III chord | IV chord | V chord | VI chord | VII chord |
| Scale | melodic minor | Phrygian +6 Dorian -2 |
Lydian +5 | Mixolydian +4 | Mixolydian -6 "Hindu" |
Locrian +2 | Altered dim. whole tone Locrian -4 |
| C | Cm(maj7) | D7sus(♭9) | E♭maj7(♯5) | F7(♯11) | G(-6) | Am7(♭5) | B7(alt) |
| C♯ | C♯m(maj7) | D♯7sus(♭9) | Emaj7(♯5) | F♯7(♯11) | G♯(-6) | A♯m7(♭5) | B♯7(alt) |
| D♭ | D♭m(maj7) | E♭7sus(♭9) | F♭maj7(♯5) | G♭7(♯11) | A♭(-6) | B♭m7(♭5) | C7(alt) |
| D | Dm(maj7) | E7sus(♭9) | Fmaj7(♯5) | G7(♯11) | A(-6) | Bm7(♭5) | C♯7(alt) |
| E♭♭ | E♭♭m(maj7) | F♭7sus(♭9) | G♭♭maj7(♯5) | A♭♭7(♯11) | B♭♭(-6) | C♭m7(♭5) | D♭7(alt) |
| D♯ | D♯m(maj7) | E♯7sus(♭9) | F♯maj7(♯5) | G♯7(♯11) | A♯(-6) | B♯m7(♭5) | Cx7(alt) |
| E♭ | E♭m(maj7) | F7sus(♭9) | G♭maj7(♯5) | A♭7(♯11) | B♭(-6) | Cm7(♭5) | D7(alt) |
| E | Em(maj7) | F♯7sus(♭9) | Gmaj7(♯5) | A7(♯11) | B(-6) | C♯m7(♭5) | D♯7(alt) |
| F♭ | F♭m(maj7) | G♭7sus(♭9) | A♭♭maj7(♯5) | B♭♭7(♯11) | C♭(-6) | D♭m7(♭5) | E♭7(alt) |
| F | Fm(maj7) | G7sus(♭9) | A♭maj7(♯5) | B♭7(♯11) | C(-6) | Dm7(♭5) | E7(alt) |
| F♯ | F♯m(maj7) | G♯7sus(♭9) | Amaj7(♯5) | B7(♯11) | C♯(-6) | D♯m7(♭5) | E♯7(alt) |
| G♭ | G♭m(maj7) | A♭7sus(♭9) | B♭♭maj7(♯5) | C♭7(♯11) | D♭(-6) | E♭m7(♭5) | F7(alt) |
| G | Gm(maj7) | A7sus(♭9) | B♭maj7(♯5) | C7(♯11) | D(-6) | Em7(♭5) | F♯7(alt) |
| A♭♭ | A♭♭m(maj7) | B♭♭7sus(♭9) | C♭♭maj7(♯5) | D♭♭7(♯11) | E♭♭(-6) | F♭m7(♭5) | G♭7(alt) |
| G♯ | G♯(maj7) | A♯7sus(♭9) | B♯maj7(♯5) | C♯7(♯11) | D♯(-6) | E♯m7(♭5) | Fx7(alt) |
| A♭ | A♭m(maj7) | B♭7sus(♭9) | C♭maj7(♯5) | D♭7(♯11) | E♭(-6) | Fm7(♭5) | G7(alt) |
| A | Am(maj7) | B7sus(♭9) | Cmaj7(♯5) | D7(♯11) | E(-6) | F♯m7(♭5) | G♯7(alt) |
| B♭♭ | B♭♭m(maj7) | C♭7sus(♭9) | D♭♭maj7(♯5) | E♭♭7(♯11) | F♭(-6) | G♭m7(♭5) | A♭7(alt) |
| B♭ | B♭m(maj7) | C7sus(♭9) | D♭maj7(♯5) | E♭7(♯11) | F(-6) | Gm7(♭5) | A7(alt) |
| B | Bm(maj7) | C♯7sus(♭9) | Dmaj7(♯5) | E7(♯11) | F♯(-6) | G♯m7(♭5) | A♯7(alt) |
| C♭ | C♭m(maj7) | D♭7sus(♭9) | E♭♭maj7(♯5) | F♭7(♯11) | G♭(-6) | A♭m7(♭5) | B♭7(alt) |
Notes:
- Cells are color coded according to piano keys. This makes it easy to see the scale to use for a given chord—just use the black and white notes in the horizontal row for the desired chord.
- The B♭♭, A♭♭, and E♭♭ melodic minor scales are included because of the useful half-diminished (VI) and/or altered (VII) chords they generate.
- Pianist Dave Peck calls the characteristic V chord "an augmented 7th add 12—as in G+7(12)—since the +5, 12 and -7 can all be present in the chord." The 12 indicates that that the fifth degree of the scale is played above the +5. Mark Levine devotes page 242 of The Jazz Piano Book to a dismission of this chord.
- Minor ii-V-I can be implemented with the Locrian +2 (mode 6), altered (mode 7), and melodic minor (mode 1) scales respectively. In this common scheme, three notes are flatted moving from the ii to the V (the 1, 2, and 7 of the Locrian +2) and four notes are sharped moving from the V to the I (the 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the altered scale).
- Highly stylized major ii-V-I can be implemented with the Phrygian +6 (mode 2), Mixolydian +4 (mode 4) or altered (mode 7), and Lydian +5 (mode 3) scales respectively. In this unusual scheme, the 2 and 7 of the Phrygian +6 scale are sharped moving from the ii to the V, and then the 4 is flatted and the 1 and 7 sharped moving from the Mixolydian +4 to the Lydian +5.
Created on 2/11/99. Updated on 10/7/99 and 1/17/2010.