C Melodic Minor (Classical) Mandolin Scale, Chords & Progressions

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

Notes going up: C D Eb F G A B

Notes coming down: C A# Ab G F Eb D

Tuning: Standard (G D A E)

Scales

Scale shapes

4NPS - Sixth Position

E|--1---3---5---7-|
A|--2---3---5---6-|
D|--1---3---5---7-|
G|--2---4---5---7-|
Coming down
E|--1---3---4---6-|
A|--1---3---5---6-|
D|--1---3---5---6-|
G|--3---5---7-----|

4NPS - Seventh Position

E|--3---5---7---8-|
A|--3---5---6---8-|
D|--3---5---7---9-|
G|--4---5---7---8-|
Coming down
E|--3---4---6---8-|
A|--3---5---6---8-|
D|--3---5---6---8-|
G|--5---7---8-----|

4NPS - First Position

E|--5---7---8--10-|
A|--5---6---8--10-|
D|--5---7---9--10-|
G|--5---7---8--10-|
Coming down
E|--4---6---8--10-|
A|--5---6---8--10-|
D|--5---6---8--10-|
G|--5---7---8--10-|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
ICmC Eb G5 5 6 3
ICmC Eb G5 5 6 8
ICmC Eb G8 5 6 8
ICmC Eb G8 10 10 8
IIDmD F A2 0 0 1
IIDmD F A7 7 8 5
IIDmD F A7 7 8 10
IIDmD F A10 7 8 10
IIIEbaugEb G B0 1 2 x
IIIEbaugEb G Bx 1 2 x
IIIEbaugEb G B0 1 2 3
IIIEbaugEb G Bx 1 2 3
IVFF A C5 3 0 1
IVFF A C5 3 3 5
IVFF A C2 3 3 1
IVFF A C2 3 3 5
VGG B D0 0 2 3
VGG B D4 5 5 3
VGG B D4 0 2 3
VGG B D7 5 2 3
VIAdimA C Eb5 7 6 5
VIAdimA C Eb8 7 3 5
VIIBdimB D F7 9 8 7
VIIBdimB D F10 9 5 7

Seventh Chords

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
ICm(maj7)C Eb G B0 1 2 x
ICm(maj7)C Eb G B0 1 2 3
ICm(maj7)C Eb G Bx 1 2 3
ICm(maj7)C Eb G B4 1 2 3
IIDm7D F A C5 3 3 5
IIDm7D F A Cx 0 3 1
IIDm7D F A C2 3 3 1
IIDm7D F A C5 3 0 1
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B D0 0 2 3
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B D4 0 2 3
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B D4 5 5 3
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B D7 5 5 7
IVF7F A C Eb5 3 6 5
IVF7F A C Ebx 3 6 5
IVF7F A C Eb8 3 3 8
IVF7F A C Eb8 3 6 5
VG7G B D F0 0 2 1
VG7G B D F0 3 2 1
VG7G B D F0 3 2 3
VG7G B D F7 5 8 7
VIAm7b5A C Eb G5 5 6 3
VIAm7b5A C Eb G5 5 6 8
VIIBm7b5B D F A7 7 8 5
VIIBm7b5B D F A7 7 8 10

Ninth Chords

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B D0 0 2 x
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B D0 0 3 x
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B Dx 0 2 3
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B Dx 0 3 3
IIDm7b9D F A C Ebx 3 6 5
IIDm7b9D F A C Eb5 3 6 5
IIIEbmaj9#5Eb G B D Fx 5 8 7
IIIEbmaj9#5Eb G B D F7 5 8 7
IVF9F A C Eb G0 1 0 1
IVF9F A C Eb G0 1 0 x
IVF9F A C Eb Gx 3 0 3
IVF9F A C Eb Gx 1 0 3
VG9G B D F A0 0 0 x
VG9G B D F A0 0 0 1
VG9G B D F Ax 0 0 1
VG9G B D F A2 0 2 1
VIAm9b5A C Eb G Bx 9 12 11
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A Cx 0 3 1
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A C2 0 3 1
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A C2 0 3 x
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A C2 3 3 x

Triads

Chords

DegreeChordNotesFingering (low to high)
ICmC Eb G0 1 3 x
ICmC Eb Gx 1 3 3
ICmC Eb G5 5 6 x
ICmC Eb G8 5 3 x
IIDmD F Ax 0 0 1
IIDmD F A2 3 5 x
IIDmD F Ax 3 5 5
IIDmD F A7 3 0 x
IIIEbaugEb G B0 1 2 x
IIIEbaugEb G Bx 1 2 3
IIIEbaugEb G B4 5 6 x
IIIEbaugEb G Bx 5 6 7
IVFF A C2 3 3 x
IVFF A C5 3 0 x
IVFF A Cx 3 3 5
IVFF A Cx 3 0 8
VGG B D0 0 2 x
VGG B Dx 0 2 3
VGG B D4 5 5 x
VGG B D7 5 2 x
VIAdimA C Eb2 1 3 x
VIAdimA C Eb5 1 0 x
VIAdimA C Ebx 1 3 5
VIAdimA C Eb5 7 6 x
VIIBdimB D Fx 0 2 1
VIIBdimB D F4 3 5 x
VIIBdimB D F7 3 2 x
VIIBdimB D Fx 3 5 7
ICm(maj7)C Eb G B0 1 2 x
ICm(maj7)C Eb G Bx 1 2 3
ICm(maj7)C Eb G B4 1 3 x
ICm(maj7)C Eb G B5 1 2 x
IIDm7D F A Cx 0 3 1
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B D0 0 2 x
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B Dx 0 2 3
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B D0 1 5 x
IIIEbmaj7#5Eb G B Dx 1 5 3
IVF7F A C Ebx 3 6 5
VG7G B D Fx 5 8 7
VIAm7b5A C Eb G0 1 0 x
VIAm7b5A C Eb Gx 1 0 3
VIAm7b5A C Eb G0 1 3 x
VIAm7b5A C Eb Gx 1 3 3
VIIBm7b5B D F Ax 0 0 1
VIIBm7b5B D F A2 0 2 x
VIIBm7b5B D F A2 3 2 x
VIIBm7b5B D F A4 0 0 x
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B D0 0 2 x
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B D0 0 3 x
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B Dx 0 2 3
ICm(maj9)C Eb G B Dx 0 3 3
IIDm7b9D F A C Ebx 3 6 5
IIIEbmaj9#5Eb G B D Fx 5 8 7
IVF9F A C Eb G0 1 0 x
IVF9F A C Eb Gx 3 0 3
IVF9F A C Eb Gx 1 0 3
IVF9F A C Eb G0 1 3 x
VG9G B D F A0 0 0 x
VG9G B D F Ax 0 0 1
VG9G B D F A2 0 2 x
VG9G B D F A0 3 0 x
VIAm9b5A C Eb G Bx 9 12 11
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A Cx 0 3 1
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A C2 0 3 x
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A C2 3 3 x
VIIBm7b5b9B D F A C4 0 3 x

Progressions

Crosspicking (Forward)

Chords: Cm – Dm – Ebaug – F – G – Adim – Bdim

E|3-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|6-------6-----------6-----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|
D|5---5-----------5-----------5---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
G|5-----------5-----------5-------|2-----------2-----------2-------|

E|--------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|2-------2-----------2-----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|
D|1---1-----------1-----------1---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|0-----------0-----------0-------|5-----------5-----------5-------|

E|3-------------------------------|5-------------------------------|
A|2-------2-----------2-----------|6-------6-----------6-----------|
D|0---0-----------0-----------0---|7---7-----------7-----------7---|
G|0-----------0-----------0-------|5-----------5-----------5-------|

E|7-------------------------------|
A|8-------8-----------8-----------|
D|9---9-----------9-----------9---|
G|7-----------7-----------7-------|

Crosspicking (Reverse)

Chords: Cm – Dm – Ebaug – F – G – Adim – Bdim

E|3-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|6-----------6-----------6-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
D|5---5-----------5-----------5---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
G|5-------5-----------5-----------|2-------2-----------2-----------|

E|--------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|2-----------2-----------2-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
D|1---1-----------1-----------1---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|0-------0-----------0-----------|5-------5-----------5-----------|

E|3-------------------------------|5-------------------------------|
A|2-----------2-----------2-------|6-----------6-----------6-------|
D|0---0-----------0-----------0---|7---7-----------7-----------7---|
G|0-------0-----------0-----------|5-------5-----------5-----------|

E|7-------------------------------|
A|8-----------8-----------8-------|
D|9---9-----------9-----------9---|
G|7-------7-----------7-----------|

Crosspicking 3-3-2 (Shuffler)

Chords: Cm – Dm – Ebaug – F – G – Adim – Bdim

E|3-------3-----------3-----------|1-------1-----------1-----------|
A|6---6-----------6-----------6---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
D|5-----------5-----------5-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
G|5-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------|1-------1-----------1-----------|
A|2---2-----------2-----------2---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
D|1-----------1-----------1-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|0-------------------------------|5-------------------------------|

E|3-------3-----------3-----------|5-------5-----------5-----------|
A|2---2-----------2-----------2---|6---6-----------6-----------6---|
D|0-----------0-----------0-------|7-----------7-----------7-------|
G|0-------------------------------|5-------------------------------|

E|7-------7-----------7-----------|
A|8---8-----------8-----------8---|
D|9-----------9-----------9-------|
G|7-------------------------------|

Crosspicking (McReynolds 3-1-2)

Chords: Cm – Dm – Ebaug – F – G – Adim – Bdim

E|3---3-----------3-----------3---|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
A|6-------6-----------6-----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|
D|5-----------5-----------5-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
G|5-------------------------------|2-------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
A|2-------2-----------2-----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|
D|1-----------1-----------1-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|0-------------------------------|5-------------------------------|

E|3---3-----------3-----------3---|5---5-----------5-----------5---|
A|2-------2-----------2-----------|6-------6-----------6-----------|
D|0-----------0-----------0-------|7-----------7-----------7-------|
G|0-------------------------------|5-------------------------------|

E|7---7-----------7-----------7---|
A|8-------8-----------8-----------|
D|9-----------9-----------9-------|
G|7-------------------------------|

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