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D bebop melodic minor scale on bass guitar
D bebop melodic minor contains D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, and C♯. Box 1 places the root on string 3, fret 5 and string 1, fret 7.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 6, 7
How do you play the D bebop melodic minor scale on bass?
D bebop melodic minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 12 notes across 4 strings, from E on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭ on the G string at fret 3. The root falls on the D string at fret 0.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
| 3 (A) | 0, 1, 2 | A, B♭, B |
| 2 (D) | 0, 2, 3 | D, E, F |
| 1 (G) | 0, 2, 3 | G, A, B♭ |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
D bebop melodic minor in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 10 notes across 4 strings, from G on the E string at fret 3 up to C♯ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the A string at fret 5.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3, 5, 6 | G, A, B♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 5 | C♯, D |
| 2 (D) | 3, 5 | F, G |
| 1 (G) | 3, 4, 6 | B♭, B, C♯ |
Box 3 · frets 5–8
D bebop melodic minor in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 11 notes across 4 strings, from A on the E string at fret 5 up to D on the G string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 5 and the G string at fret 7.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 5, 6, 7 | A, B♭, B |
| 3 (A) | 5, 7, 8 | D, E, F |
| 2 (D) | 5, 7, 8 | G, A, B♭ |
| 1 (G) | 6, 7 | C♯, D |
Box 4 · frets 7–10
D bebop melodic minor in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 12 notes across 4 strings, from B on the E string at fret 7 up to F on the G string at fret 10. The root falls on the E string at fret 10 and the G string at fret 7.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 7, 9, 10 | B, C♯, D |
| 3 (A) | 7, 8, 10 | E, F, G |
| 2 (D) | 7, 8, 9 | A, B♭, B |
| 1 (G) | 7, 9, 10 | D, E, F |
Box 5 · frets 10–13
D bebop melodic minor in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 10 notes across 4 strings, from D on the E string at fret 10 up to G on the G string at fret 12. The root falls on the E string at fret 10 and the D string at fret 12.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 10, 12, 13 | D, E, F |
| 3 (A) | 10, 12, 13 | G, A, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 12 | C♯, D |
| 1 (G) | 10, 12 | F, G |
Why it sounds like that
D bebop melodic minor adds the major 6th B to D harmonic minor. The scale contains a tritone and a leading tone. The step pattern is W, H, W, W, H, H, W, H.
When to use it
D bebop melodic minor fits D minor and D 5th chords. Use it for jazz lines over minor progressions in F major or D minor.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 3, fret 5, covering frets 0–3 for low-position lines.
Common questions
What notes are in D bebop melodic minor?
D bebop melodic minor contains D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, and C♯. The scale has eight notes. It adds the major 6th to D harmonic minor.
Which chords does D bebop melodic minor fit?
D bebop melodic minor fits D minor and D 5th chords. The scale works over minor progressions in F major or D minor. Use it for jazz lines.
What is the step pattern of D bebop melodic minor?
D bebop melodic minor follows W, H, W, W, H, H, W, H. The pattern includes a chromatic move between B♭ and B. This creates the bebop passing tone.