D bebop melodic minor runs D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, C♯. Box 1 places roots at string 3 fret 2 and string 1 fret 5.
D bebop melodic minor runs D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B, C♯. Box 1 places roots at string 3 fret 2 and string 1 fret 5.
D bebop melodic minor adds the major 6th B to D harmonic minor, which already has the major 7th C♯. The extra note creates a chromatic run from B♭ to C♯. Compare D harmonic minor to hear the added colour.
D bebop melodic minor fits D minor and D 5th chords. Use it over minor vamps in D, especially when the chord moves to A major or A 5th.
Practise Box 1 first. The root on string 3 fret 2 keeps the hand low, and the shape covers frets 2–5 for quick access to the chromatic cluster.
D bebop melodic minor in box 1 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 11 notes across 4 strings, from D on the C string at fret 2 up to D on the A string at fret 5. The root falls on the C string at fret 2 and the A string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2, 3, 4 | A, B♭, B |
| 3 (C) | 2, 4, 5 | D, E, F |
| 2 (E) | 3, 5 | G, A |
| 1 (A) | 2, 4, 5 | B, C♯, D |
D bebop melodic minor in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 12 notes across 4 strings, from E on the C string at fret 4 up to E on the A string at fret 7. The root falls on the G string at fret 7 and the A string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4, 6, 7 | B, C♯, D |
| 3 (C) | 4, 5, 7 | E, F, G |
| 2 (E) | 5, 6, 7 | A, B♭, B |
| 1 (A) | 4, 5, 7 | C♯, D, E |
D bebop melodic minor in box 3 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 12 notes across 4 strings, from G on the C string at fret 7 up to G on the A string at fret 10. The root falls on the G string at fret 7 and the E string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7, 9, 10 | D, E, F |
| 3 (C) | 7, 9, 10 | G, A, B♭ |
| 2 (E) | 7, 9, 10 | B, C♯, D |
| 1 (A) | 7, 8, 10 | E, F, G |
D bebop melodic minor in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 11 notes across 4 strings, from A on the C string at fret 9 up to A on the A string at fret 12. The root falls on the E string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 9, 10, 12 | E, F, G |
| 3 (C) | 9, 10, 11 | A, B♭, B |
| 2 (E) | 9, 10, 12 | C♯, D, E |
| 1 (A) | 10, 12 | G, A |
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, C♯. The B is the added major 6th that distinguishes it from D harmonic minor.
D bebop melodic minor works over D minor and D 5th chords. The major 7th C♯ also allows it to fit A major or A 5th in a D minor context.
D bebop melodic minor adds B, the major 6th, to D harmonic minor. This creates a chromatic line from B♭ through B to C♯.