D bebop melodic minor runs D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, C♯. The added major 6th creates a chromatic run from B♭ to C♯ for fluid bebop phrasing.
D bebop melodic minor runs D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, C♯. The added major 6th creates a chromatic run from B♭ to C♯ for fluid bebop phrasing.
D bebop melodic minor adds a major 6th to D harmonic minor, inserting B between B♭ and C♯. The scale retains the harmonic minor’s augmented 5th and major 7th, so it contains a tritone and a leading tone. Compare it with D harmonic minor to hear the added passing tone.
D bebop melodic minor fits D minor and D 5th chords, especially in jazz lines where the major 6th adds forward motion. Use it over D minor or D 5th in bebop and swing styles.
Practise Box 1 first: the root sits on string 5, fret 5, and the shape covers frets 0–3. It sets up Box 2 for higher positions.
D bebop melodic minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 18 notes across 6 strings, from E on the low E string at fret 0 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the D string at fret 0 and the B string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
| 5 (A) | 0, 1, 2 | A, B♭, B |
| 4 (D) | 0, 2, 3 | D, E, F |
| 3 (G) | 0, 2, 3 | G, A, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 0, 2, 3 | B, C♯, D |
| 1 (e) | 0, 1, 3 | E, F, G |
D bebop melodic minor in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 16 notes across 6 strings, from G on the low E string at fret 3 up to B♭ on the high e string at fret 6. The root falls on the A string at fret 5 and the B string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 5, 6 | G, A, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 4, 5 | C♯, D |
| 4 (D) | 3, 5 | F, G |
| 3 (G) | 3, 4, 6 | B♭, B, C♯ |
| 2 (B) | 3, 5, 6 | D, E, F |
| 1 (e) | 3, 5, 6 | G, A, B♭ |
D bebop melodic minor in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 17 notes across 6 strings, from A on the low E string at fret 5 up to B on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 5 and the G string at fret 7.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5, 6, 7 | A, B♭, B |
| 5 (A) | 5, 7, 8 | D, E, F |
| 4 (D) | 5, 7, 8 | G, A, B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 7 | C♯, D |
| 2 (B) | 5, 6, 8 | E, F, G |
| 1 (e) | 5, 6, 7 | A, B♭, B |
D bebop melodic minor in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 17 notes across 6 strings, from B on the low E string at fret 7 up to D on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the low E string at fret 10, the G string at fret 7 and the high e string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 9, 10 | B, C♯, D |
| 5 (A) | 7, 8, 10 | E, F, G |
| 4 (D) | 7, 8, 9 | A, B♭, B |
| 3 (G) | 7, 9, 10 | D, E, F |
| 2 (B) | 8, 10 | G, A |
| 1 (e) | 7, 9, 10 | B, C♯, D |
D bebop melodic minor in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 16 notes across 6 strings, from D on the low E string at fret 10 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. The root falls on the low E string at fret 10, the D string at fret 12 and the high e string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10, 12, 13 | D, E, F |
| 5 (A) | 10, 12, 13 | G, A, B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 12 | C♯, D |
| 3 (G) | 10, 12 | F, G |
| 2 (B) | 10, 11, 12 | A, B♭, B |
| 1 (e) | 10, 12, 13 | D, E, F |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
D bebop melodic minor contains D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, and C♯. The added B is the major 6th that creates the bebop passing tone. The scale has eight notes instead of seven.
D bebop melodic minor fits D minor and D 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.
D bebop melodic minor adds B between B♭ and C♯. D harmonic minor has only seven notes and lacks the major 6th. The added note creates a chromatic run for smoother lines.