D melodic minor scale
1 sharp: C♯ · pattern W–H–W–W–W–W–H
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Half steps from D |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Tonic | 0 |
| 2 | E | Supertonic | 2 |
| 3 | F | Mediant | 3 |
| 4 | G | Subdominant | 5 |
| 5 | A | Dominant | 7 |
| 6 | B | Submediant | 9 |
| 7 | C♯ | Leading tone | 11 |
About this scale
Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th (B and C♯) to smooth out the leap in harmonic minor. Classical players use it ascending and return to natural minor descending; in jazz it’s used both ways and is the source of many modern chord colours.
Seventh chords in D melodic minor scale
i(maj7) Dm(maj7)ii7 Em7III+7 Fmaj7♯5IV7 G7V7 A7viø7 Bm7♭5viiø7 C♯m7♭5
Other D scales
D majorD natural minorD harmonic minorD major pentatonicD minor pentatonicD bluesD DorianD Mixolydian
Melodic minor scale in other keys
Questions
What are the notes of the D melodic minor scale?
D, E, F, G, A, B, C♯, and back to D.
How many sharps or flats are in D melodic minor scale?
1: C♯.
What is the step pattern of the melodic minor scale?
W–H–W–W–W–W–H, where W is a whole step (two keys) and H is a half step (the next key). Start that pattern on D to get this scale.