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Ab Harmonic Minor vs Ab Melodic Minor

Ab melodic minor is Ab harmonic minor with a raised 6th: Fb becomes F. Both drawn on one guitar neck.

Ab Harmonic Minor and Ab Melodic Minor on one guitar fretboard, the shared notes and the differences marked13578910121415eBGDAEFbFGAbBbCbDbEbFbFGCbDbEbFbFGAbBbCbDbGAbBbCbDbEbFbFGAbBbEbFbFGAbBbCbDbEbFbFBbCbDbEbFbFGAbBbCbFbFGAbBbCbDbEbFbFG

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

Ab melodic minor is Ab harmonic minor with a raised 6th: Fb becomes F.

Ab harmonic minor vs Ab melodic minor: what is different

They share six notes and differ in one:

Shared by both: Ab Bb Cb Db Eb G.

When to use which

Play both over the same chord and listen to the notes that differ. Whichever sounds right for the song is the answer; the names matter less than the ear. As a rule, the scale with the raised note sounds brighter or more tense, and the one with the lowered note sounds darker or more settled.

Hear the difference

Ab Harmonic Minor
Ab   Bb   Cb   Db   Eb   Fb   G
Ab Melodic Minor
Ab   Bb   Cb   Db   Eb   F   G
Shared notes
Ab   Bb   Cb   Db   Eb   G
Only in Harmonic Minor
Fb (b6)
Only in Melodic Minor
F (6)
Compare these two on the interactive neck →

Free, no account needed. Change the key and both scales follow.

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