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Eb Natural Minor vs Eb Melodic Minor

Eb melodic minor is Eb natural minor with a raised 6th and 7th: Cb and Db become C and D. Both drawn on one guitar neck.

Eb Natural Minor and Eb Melodic Minor on one guitar fretboard, the shared notes and the differences marked13578910121415eBGDAEFGbAbBbCbCDbDEbFGbCbCDbDEbFGbAbBbCbCDbDAbBbCbCDbDEbFGbAbBbDEbFGbAbBbCbCDbDEbFBbCbCDbDEbFGbAbBbCbCFGbAbBbCbCDbDEbFGb

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

Eb melodic minor is Eb natural minor with a raised 6th and 7th: Cb and Db become C and D.

Eb natural minor vs Eb melodic minor: what is different

They share five notes and differ in two:

Shared by both: Eb F Gb Ab Bb.

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

Eb Natural Minor
Eb   F   Gb   Ab   Bb   Cb   Db
Eb Melodic Minor
Eb   F   Gb   Ab   Bb   C   D
Shared notes
Eb   F   Gb   Ab   Bb
Only in Natural Minor
Cb (b6)   Db (b7)
Only in Melodic Minor
C (6)   D (7)
Compare these two on the interactive neck →

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

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