A Melodic Minor (Classical) Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The A Melodic Minor (Classical) scale on banjo: scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes going up: A B C D E F# G#

Notes coming down: A G F E D C B

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scales

Scale shapes

3NPS - Fourth Position

D|--4---6---7-|
B|--1---3---5-|
G|--1---2---4-|
D|--0---2---4-|
G|--6---7-----|

Coming down

D|--3---5---7-|
B|--1---3---5-|
G|--0---2---4-|
D|--0---2---3-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Fifth Position

D|--6---7---9-|
B|--3---5---7-|
G|--2---4---5-|
D|--2---4---6-|
G|--6---7---9-|

Coming down

D|--5---7---9-|
B|--3---5---6-|
G|--2---4---5-|
D|--2---3---5-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Sixth Position

D|--7---9--10-----|
B|--5---7---9-----|
G|--4---5---7-----|
D|--4---6---7-----|
G|--6---7---9--10-|

Coming down

D|--7---9--10-|
B|--5---6---8-|
G|--4---5---7-|
D|--5---7-----|
G|------------|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Am	A C E	`7 7 5 5 7`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 0`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 0 4 0 4`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 9`
III	Caug	C E G#	`x x 1 1 x`
III	Caug	C E G#	`x 2 1 1 2`
III	Caug	C E G#	`x 2 1 1 x`
III	Caug	C E G#	`x 2 1 x x`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 4`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 7 7 7 7`
V	E	E G# B	`9 9 9 9 9`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x x 2 1 x`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x 4 2 1 4`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x 4 2 1 x`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x x 2 1 4`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x x 0 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x 1 0 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x 0 1 0 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x 0 1 0 x`

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Am(maj7)	A C E G#	`x 2 1 1 2`
I	Am(maj7)	A C E G#	`x 2 1 1 x`
I	Am(maj7)	A C E G#	`x x 1 1 2`
I	Am(maj7)	A C E G#	`x x 2 1 6`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 0`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
III	Cmaj7#5	C E G# B	`x 2 1 0 2`
III	Cmaj7#5	C E G# B	`x 2 1 0 x`
III	Cmaj7#5	C E G# B	`x x 1 0 2`
III	Cmaj7#5	C E G# B	`x 2 4 1 2`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 0`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 x`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x x 2 1 0`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 4`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x x 1 0 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 0 1 0 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 0 1 0 x`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 2 1 0 0`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x x 2 1 2`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 2`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 x`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 4 2 1 2`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x x 1 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 0 1 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 0 1 3 4`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 0 4 0 4`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Am(maj9)	A C E G# B	`x x 2 0 2`
I	Am(maj9)	A C E G# B	`x 2 1 0 x`
I	Am(maj9)	A C E G# B	`x 2 2 0 x`
I	Am(maj9)	A C E G# B	`x x 1 0 2`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 x`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x x 2 1 0`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x x 4 1 0`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 4`
III	Cmaj9#5	C E G# B D	`x x 1 0 0`
III	Cmaj9#5	C E G# B D	`x x 1 1 0`
III	Cmaj9#5	C E G# B D	`x 0 1 0 x`
III	Cmaj9#5	C E G# B D	`x 0 1 1 x`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 0 2 1 2`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 0`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x x 2 1 2`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 x`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x x 1 0 4`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 0 1 0 4`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 4 1 0 0`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 4 1 0 x`
VI	F#m9b5	F# A C E G#	`x 2 1 1 x`
VI	F#m9b5	F# A C E G#	`x x 1 1 2`
VI	F#m9b5	F# A C E G#	`x 4 1 1 2`
VI	F#m9b5	F# A C E G#	`x 4 1 1 x`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 4 2 0 0`

Progressions

Forward Roll

Chords: Am – Bm – Caug – D – E – F#dim – G#dim

D|7---7-----------7-----------7---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
B|5-----------5-----------5-------|7-----------7-----------7-------|
G|5-------------------------------|7-------------------------------|
D|7-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
G|7-------7-----------7-----------|9-------9-----------9-----------|

D|--------------------------------|4---4-----------4-----------4---|
B|1-----------1-----------1-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|1-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|7-------7-----------7-----------|

D|9---9-----------9-----------9---|--------------------------------|
B|9-----------9-----------9-------|1-----------1-----------1-------|
G|9-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
D|9-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|9-------9-----------9-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
B|0-----------0-----------0-------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Backward Roll

Chords: Am – Bm – Caug – D – E – F#dim – G#dim

D|7-----------7-----------7-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|5---5-----------5-----------5---|7---7-----------7-----------7---|
G|5-------------------------------|7-------------------------------|
D|7-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
G|7-------7-----------7-----------|9-------9-----------9-----------|

D|--------------------------------|4-----------4-----------4-------|
B|1---1-----------1-----------1---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|1-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|7-------7-----------7-----------|

D|9-----------9-----------9-------|--------------------------------|
B|9---9-----------9-----------9---|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
G|9-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
D|9-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|9-------9-----------9-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Forward-Reverse Roll

Chords: Am – Bm – Caug – D – E – F#dim – G#dim

D|7-------7-------7-----------7---|0-------0-------0-----------0---|
B|5---5---------------5-----------|7---7---------------7-----------|
G|5-----------------------5-------|7-----------------------7-------|
D|7-------------------------------|9-------------------------------|
G|7-----------7-------------------|9-----------9-------------------|

D|--------------------------------|4-------4-------4-----------4---|
B|1---1---------------1-----------|3---3---------------3-----------|
G|1-----------------------1-------|2-----------------------2-------|
D|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|7-----------7-------------------|

D|9-------9-------9-----------9---|--------------------------------|
B|9---9---------------9-----------|1---1---------------1-----------|
G|9-----------------------9-------|2-----------------------2-------|
D|9-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|9-----------9-------------------|------------0-------------------|

D|0-------0-------0-----------0---|
B|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|

Alternating Thumb Roll

Chords: Am – Bm – Caug – D – E – F#dim – G#dim

D|7-----------7---------------7---|0-----------0---------------0---|
B|5---5---------------5-----------|7---7---------------7-----------|
G|5-------------------------------|7-------------------------------|
D|7---------------7---------------|9---------------9---------------|
G|7-------7---------------7-------|9-------9---------------9-------|

D|--------------------------------|4-----------4---------------4---|
B|1---1---------------1-----------|3---3---------------3-----------|
G|1-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|0---------------0---------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|7-------7---------------7-------|

D|9-----------9---------------9---|--------------------------------|
B|9---9---------------9-----------|1---1---------------1-----------|
G|9-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
D|9---------------9---------------|--------------------------------|
G|9-------9---------------9-------|--------0---------------0-------|

D|0-----------0---------------0---|
B|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|

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