C♯ Melodic Minor Scale – Guitar

A minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th: smooth and modern, a jazz staple. Here it is in C♯: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the C♯ melodic minor scale

C♯1
D♯2
Eb3
F♯4
G♯5
A♯6
B♯7

Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in C♯ minor, and over C♯ blues and rock progressions.

C♯ melodic minor scale on the whole neck

C# Melodic Minor Scale on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (C#).

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<iframe src="https://jamease.app/embed/scales/c-sharp-melodic-minor" width="100%" height="300" style="border:0;max-width:900px" loading="lazy" title="C# Melodic Minor Scale on the guitar neck"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://jamease.app/scales/c-sharp-melodic-minor">C# Melodic Minor Scale on guitar</a> – diagram by JamEase</p>

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The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB

Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.

Box 1 · frets 8–13

C# Melodic Minor Scale, box 1

e|-------------------------------------------------------8--9--11-12-|
B|----------------------------------------------9--11-13-------------|
G|----------------------------------8--9--11-13----------------------|
D|----------------------8--10-11-13----------------------------------|
A|-------------9--11-13----------------------------------------------|
E|-8--9--11-12-------------------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 10–15

C# Melodic Minor Scale, box 2

e|-------------------------------------------------11-12-14-|
B|----------------------------------------11-13-14----------|
G|-------------------------------11-13-15-------------------|
D|-------------------10-11-13-14----------------------------|
A|----------11-13-15----------------------------------------|
E|-11-12-14-------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 1–6

C# Melodic Minor Scale, box 3

e|---------------------------------------2-4-6-|
B|-------------------------------1-2-4-5-------|
G|-----------------------1-3-5-6---------------|
D|---------------1-2-4-6-----------------------|
A|-------1-3-4-6-------------------------------|
E|-2-4-6---------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 3–8

C# Melodic Minor Scale, box 4

e|-----------------------------------4-6-8-|
B|-----------------------------4-5-7-------|
G|---------------------3-5-6-8-------------|
D|---------------4-6-8---------------------|
A|-------3-4-6-7---------------------------|
E|-4-6-8-----------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 5–10

C# Melodic Minor Scale, box 5

e|-------------------------------------------------6--8--9--|
B|----------------------------------------5--7--9-----------|
G|----------------------------5--6--8--9--------------------|
D|-------------------6--8--10-------------------------------|
A|----------6--7--9-----------------------------------------|
E|-6--8--9--------------------------------------------------|

C♯ minor backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Slow Blues Rock Ballad Jam | Guitar Backing Track in C# Minor – Now YOU Shred Backing Tracks

Songs in C♯ minor

These songs are in C♯ minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

Counting Stars – OneRepublic
Jolene – Dolly Parton
Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran
Skinny Love – Birdy
Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
California Dreamin – The Mamas & The Papas
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room – John Mayer
The Cave – Mumford & Sons
This Is The Life – Amy Macdonald
Mean – Taylor Swift
Isnt She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
Those Eyes – New West

All songs in C♯ minor →

Other scales in C♯

Melodic Minor Scale in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.