Melodic Minor Mapping Madness! (Part 2)

The Melodic Minor Molecule:

The symmetry of the Melodic Minor is expressed clearly in its 5th mode, also known as "Mixolydian b6". 

In A Melodic Minor we have the scale; "A B C D E F# G# A"... This sequence can be expressed in intervals as "W H W W W W H" ...

If we play a scale in A Melodic Minor with the final note of E, the interval structure is "W W H W H W W" based on the notes "E F# G# A B C D E" ...

When played on the four bottom strings of the guitar, this mode takes the hexagonal shape shown below:

Because this shape is quite easy to remember, it can serve as a kind of scale molecule around which you can develop your melodic minor riffs.

Notice where this mode fits in the Melodic Minor Compass (see previous post in this blog):

The centrality of this mode within Melodic Minor is quite clear, both tonally and geometrically on the fret board. Play the four-note augmented arpeggio starting from C on the 6th string — ascending and descending; "C E G# C G# E C" ...  then play the 4-note tritone arpeggio from the same root; "C F# C F# etc" ...  then play the mode scale from E to E and resolve to an A minor 7.

This will give you a sense of the flavor of this scale and open the door to its modes.

Here is a map of all the positions of the 5th mode of Melodic Minor in the key of Cmaj/Amin:

Notice how the shape changes when it crosses the 3rd-Rail (the 2nd and 3rd string juncture), indicated by the green forms. Also notice that the green form spanning strings 2,3,4 is the same shape as the form spanning strings 1,2,3 but rotated 180º.

(Read Part 1)