G#/Ab Melodic Minor (Classical) Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The G#/Ab Melodic Minor (Classical) scale on banjo (G sharp / A flat melodic minor (classical)): scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

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

Notes coming down: G# F# E D# C# B A#

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scales

Scale shapes

3NPS - Fifth Position

D|--5---6---8-|
B|--2---4---6-|
G|--1---3---4-|
D|--1---3---5-|
G|--6---8-----|

Coming down

D|--4---6---8-|
B|--2---4---5-|
G|--1---3---4-|
D|--1---2---4-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Sixth Position

D|--6---8---9-|
B|--4---6---8-|
G|--3---4---6-|
D|--3---5---6-|
G|--6---8---9-|

Coming down

D|--6---8---9-|
B|--4---5---7-|
G|--3---4---6-|
D|--4---6-----|
G|------------|

3NPS - Seventh Position

D|--8---9--11-----|
B|--6---8---9-----|
G|--4---6---8-----|
D|--5---6---8-----|
G|--6---8---9--11-|

Coming down

D|--8---9--11-|
B|--5---7---9-|
G|--4---6---8-|
D|--6---8-----|
G|------------|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m	G# B D#	`6 6 4 4 6`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`8 8 6 6 8`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x x 0 0 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 0 0 1`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 0 0 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x 1 0 0 1`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`6 6 6 6 6`
V	D#	D# G A#	`8 8 8 8 8`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`x x 1 0 x`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`x 3 1 0 3`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`x 3 1 0 x`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`x x 1 0 3`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`x x 0 2 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`x x 3 2 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`0 5 3 2 5`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`0 5 3 2 x`

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 0 0 1`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 1`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 0 0 x`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 x`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`x 3 1 2 3`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`x 3 1 2 x`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`x x 1 2 3`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`6 3 1 2 3`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 1`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 x`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`x 1 3 0 1`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 3 x x`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`x 3 1 0 3`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`x 3 1 0 x`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`x x 1 0 3`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`x 3 4 2 3`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`0 1 0 2 1`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`0 1 0 2 x`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`x 1 0 2 1`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`x 1 0 2 x`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`x x 1 0 1`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 1`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 x`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`x 3 1 0 1`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`x x 0 2 3`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`0 3 0 2 3`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`0 3 3 2 3`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`0 3 0 2 x`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 1`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 3 0 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 3 x x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`x 1 3 0 x`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`x x 3 0 3`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`x 3 1 0 x`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`x 3 3 0 x`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`x x 1 0 3`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`x 1 0 2 x`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`x x 0 2 1`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`0 1 3 2 1`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`0 1 3 2 x`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`x x 1 0 1`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`x 1 1 0 x`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`x x 1 2 1`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`x 1 1 2 x`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`0 1 0 2 3`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`0 1 3 2 3`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`x 1 0 2 3`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`x x 0 2 3`
VI	Fm9b5	F G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 1`
VI	Fm9b5	F G# B D# G	`0 1 1 0 x`
VI	Fm9b5	F G# B D# G	`0 1 1 x x`
VI	Fm9b5	F G# B D# G	`x 1 0 0 x`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`0 3 1 2 3`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`0 3 1 2 x`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`0 3 1 x x`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`x 3 1 2 x`

Progressions

Forward Roll

Chords: G#m – A#m – Baug – C# – D# – Fdim – Gdim

D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|8---8-----------8-----------8---|
B|4-----------4-----------4-------|6-----------6-----------6-------|
G|4-------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|8-------------------------------|
G|6-------6-----------6-----------|8-------8-----------8-----------|

D|--------------------------------|6---6-----------6-----------6---|
B|0-----------0-----------0-------|6-----------6-----------6-------|
G|0-------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|6-------6-----------6-----------|

D|8---8-----------8-----------8---|--------------------------------|
B|8-----------8-----------8-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
G|8-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-------8-----------8-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2-----------2-----------2-------|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Backward Roll

Chords: G#m – A#m – Baug – C# – D# – Fdim – Gdim

D|6-----------6-----------6-------|8-----------8-----------8-------|
B|4---4-----------4-----------4---|6---6-----------6-----------6---|
G|4-------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
D|6-------------------------------|8-------------------------------|
G|6-------6-----------6-----------|8-------8-----------8-----------|

D|--------------------------------|6-----------6-----------6-------|
B|0---0-----------0-----------0---|6---6-----------6-----------6---|
G|0-------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|6-------6-----------6-----------|

D|8-----------8-----------8-------|--------------------------------|
B|8---8-----------8-----------8---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
G|8-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
D|8-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-------8-----------8-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|

Forward-Reverse Roll

Chords: G#m – A#m – Baug – C# – D# – Fdim – Gdim

D|6-------6-------6-----------6---|8-------8-------8-----------8---|
B|4---4---------------4-----------|6---6---------------6-----------|
G|4-----------------------4-------|6-----------------------6-------|
D|6-------------------------------|8-------------------------------|
G|6-----------6-------------------|8-----------8-------------------|

D|--------------------------------|6-------6-------6-----------6---|
B|0---0---------------0-----------|6---6---------------6-----------|
G|0-----------------------0-------|6-----------------------6-------|
D|--------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|6-----------6-------------------|

D|8-------8-------8-----------8---|--------------------------------|
B|8---8---------------8-----------|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|8-----------------------8-------|1-----------------------1-------|
D|8-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-----------8-------------------|------------0-------------------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|0-----------------------0-------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|

Alternating Thumb Roll

Chords: G#m – A#m – Baug – C# – D# – Fdim – Gdim

D|6-----------6---------------6---|8-----------8---------------8---|
B|4---4---------------4-----------|6---6---------------6-----------|
G|4-------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
D|6---------------6---------------|8---------------8---------------|
G|6-------6---------------6-------|8-------8---------------8-------|

D|--------------------------------|6-----------6---------------6---|
B|0---0---------------0-----------|6---6---------------6-----------|
G|0-------------------------------|6-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|6---------------6---------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|6-------6---------------6-------|

D|8-----------8---------------8---|--------------------------------|
B|8---8---------------8-----------|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|8-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
D|8---------------8---------------|--------------------------------|
G|8-------8---------------8-------|--------0---------------0-------|

D|--------------------------------|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|

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