Guitar Theory Studio
Compare

F Natural Minor vs F Melodic Minor

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

F Natural Minor and F Melodic Minor on one guitar fretboard, the shared notes and the differences marked13578910121415eBGDAEEFGAbBbCDbDEbEFGCDbDEbEFGAbBbCDbDGAbBbCDbDEbEFGAbBbDEbEFGAbBbCDbDEbEFBbCDbDEbEFGAbBbCEFGAbBbCDbDEbEFG

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

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

F natural minor vs F melodic minor: what is different

They share five notes and differ in two:

Shared by both: F G Ab Bb C.

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

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

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

Put this fretboard on your own page

Teachers and bloggers: paste this and your readers get the diagram above, playable, on your page. Free to use, and the credit line links back here.