guitar scale
A melodic minor
A1B2C♭3D4E5F♯6G♯7
Minor third, major sixth and seventh — the ascending form, and the parent of most of the altered sounds below.
Written out
Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.
The step pattern
AWBHCWDWEWF♯WG♯HA
What is true of it
A melodic minor is A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G♯, and back to A.
Its steps are W – H – W – W – W – W – H, where W is a whole step and H a half.
On the same tonic, A major differs from it by exactly one note.
Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 47 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.
Chords made only of these notes
CaugaugmentedDmajorD7dominant seventhEmajorEaugaugmentedE7dominant seventhF♯dimdiminishedF♯m7♭5half-diminished seventh
Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.
Other scales on A
C mel minC♯ mel minD♭ mel minD mel minD♯ mel minE♭ mel minE mel minF mel minall 374