C♯ bebop melodic minor runs C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, A♯, B♯. The added major 6th smooths the ♭6–7 leap for even eighth-note lines.
C♯ bebop melodic minor runs C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, A♯, B♯. The added major 6th smooths the ♭6–7 leap for even eighth-note lines.
C♯ bebop melodic minor adds a major 6th to C♯ harmonic minor, placing A♯ between A and B♯. The scale keeps the harmonic minor’s augmented 5th and major 7th, so it still contains a tritone and a leading tone. Compare it with C♯ harmonic minor to hear the added passing tone.
C♯ bebop melodic minor fits C♯ minor and C♯ 5th chords, especially in jazz lines where the major 6th adds forward motion. Use it over C♯ minor or C♯ 5th in bebop and swing styles.
Practise Box 1 first: the root sits on string 5, fret 4, and the shape covers frets 0–3. It sets up Box 2 for higher positions.
C♯ bebop melodic minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 14 notes across 6 strings, from E on the low E string at fret 0 up to F♯ on the high e string at fret 2. The root falls on the B string at fret 2.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 2 | E, F♯ |
| 5 (A) | 0, 1, 3 | A, A♯, B♯ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 2 | D♯, E |
| 3 (G) | 1, 2, 3 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 2 | B♯, C♯ |
| 1 (e) | 0, 2 | E, F♯ |
C♯ bebop melodic minor in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 16 notes across 6 strings, from F♯ on the low E string at fret 2 up to A on the high e string at fret 5. The root falls on the A string at fret 4 and the B string at fret 2.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2, 4, 5 | F♯, G♯, A |
| 5 (A) | 3, 4 | B♯, C♯ |
| 4 (D) | 2, 4 | E, F♯ |
| 3 (G) | 2, 3, 5 | A, A♯, B♯ |
| 2 (B) | 2, 4, 5 | C♯, D♯, E |
| 1 (e) | 2, 4, 5 | F♯, G♯, A |
C♯ bebop melodic minor in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 17 notes across 6 strings, from G♯ on the low E string at fret 4 up to A♯ on the high e string at fret 6. The root falls on the A string at fret 4 and the G string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4, 5, 6 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 5 (A) | 4, 6, 7 | C♯, D♯, E |
| 4 (D) | 4, 6, 7 | F♯, G♯, A |
| 3 (G) | 5, 6 | B♯, C♯ |
| 2 (B) | 4, 5, 7 | D♯, E, F♯ |
| 1 (e) | 4, 5, 6 | G♯, A, A♯ |
C♯ bebop melodic minor in box 4 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 17 notes across 6 strings, from A♯ on the low E string at fret 6 up to C♯ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the low E string at fret 9, the G string at fret 6 and the high e string at fret 9.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 8, 9 | A♯, B♯, C♯ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | D♯, E, F♯ |
| 4 (D) | 6, 7, 8 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8, 9 | C♯, D♯, E |
| 2 (B) | 7, 9 | F♯, G♯ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 8, 9 | A♯, B♯, C♯ |
C♯ bebop melodic minor in box 5 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 16 notes across 6 strings, from C♯ on the low E string at fret 9 up to E on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the low E string at fret 9, the D string at fret 11 and the high e string at fret 9.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9, 11, 12 | C♯, D♯, E |
| 5 (A) | 9, 11, 12 | F♯, G♯, A |
| 4 (D) | 10, 11 | B♯, C♯ |
| 3 (G) | 9, 11 | E, F♯ |
| 2 (B) | 9, 10, 11 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 1 (e) | 9, 11, 12 | C♯, D♯, E |
C♯ bebop melodic minor in box 6 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 18 notes across 6 strings, from D♯ on the low E string at fret 11 up to F♯ on the high e string at fret 14. The root falls on the D string at fret 11 and the B string at fret 14.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12, 14 | D♯, E, F♯ |
| 5 (A) | 11, 12, 13 | G♯, A, A♯ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13, 14 | C♯, D♯, E |
| 3 (G) | 11, 13, 14 | F♯, G♯, A |
| 2 (B) | 11, 13, 14 | A♯, B♯, C♯ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12, 14 | D♯, E, F♯ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
C♯ bebop melodic minor contains C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, A♯, and B♯. The added A♯ is the major 6th that creates the bebop passing tone. The scale has eight notes instead of seven. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
C♯ bebop melodic minor fits C♯ minor and C♯ 5th chords. The major 6th and major 7th add colour without clashing with the minor third. Use it over minor vamps in jazz and fusion.
C♯ bebop melodic minor adds A♯ between A and B♯. C♯ harmonic minor has only seven notes and lacks the major 6th. The added note creates a chromatic run for smoother lines.