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

The G#/Ab Melodic Minor (Classical) scale on mandolin (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 A E)

Scales

Scale shapes

4NPS - First Position

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

Coming down

E|--0---2---4---6-|
A|--1---2---4---6-|
D|--1---2---4---6-|
G|--1---3---4---6-|

4NPS - Second Position

E|--3---4---6---7-|
A|--2---4---6---8-|
D|--3---5---6---8-|
G|--3---4---6---8-|

Coming down

E|--2---4---6---7-|
A|--2---4---6---7-|
D|--2---4---6---8-|
G|--3---4---6---8-|

4NPS - Third Position

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

Coming down

E|--4---6---7---9-|
A|--4---6---7---9-|
D|--4---6---8---9-|
G|--4---6---8---9-|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m	G# B D#	`4 6 6 4`
I	G#m	G# B D#	`1 1 2 4`
I	G#m	G# B D#	`4 1 2 4`
I	G#m	G# B D#	`8 6 6 7`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`3 3 4 1`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`3 3 4 6`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`6 3 4 6`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`6 8 8 6`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 x x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 2 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 2 3`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x 1 2 3`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`1 3 4 1`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`1 3 4 4`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`6 3 4 4`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`6 6 8 9`
V	D#	D# G A#	`3 1 1 3`
V	D#	D# G A#	`0 1 1 3`
V	D#	D# G A#	`3 5 6 3`
V	D#	D# G A#	`3 5 6 6`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`1 3 2 1`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`16 15 11 13`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`3 5 4 3`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`6 5 1 3`

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 2 x`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 2 3`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`1 1 2 3`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`x 1 2 3`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`1 3 4 1`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`1 3 4 4`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`3 3 4 4`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`6 6 8 9`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`3 1 1 3`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`3 5 6 3`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`3 5 6 6`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`8 8 10 11`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`6 6 4 7`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`6 6 8 7`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`6 9 8 7`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`6 9 8 9`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`3 1 4 3`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`x 1 4 3`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`6 1 1 6`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`6 1 4 3`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`1 1 2 4`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`13 13 14 11`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`3 3 4 1`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`3 3 4 6`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 1 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`1 1 1 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`1 1 1 3`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`x 1 1 3`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`x 11 14 13`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`13 11 14 13`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`x 1 4 3`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`3 1 4 3`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`1 1 2 1`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`1 1 2 x`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`x 1 2 1`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`1 1 4 x`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`x 1 1 1`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`0 3 1 x`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`x 3 1 3`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`0 1 4 1`
VI	Fm9b5	F G# B D# G	`x 5 8 7`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`1 3 1 3`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`1 3 1 x`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`0 3 1 4`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`0 3 4 4`

Triads

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	G#m	G# B D#	`1 1 2 x`
I	G#m	G# B D#	`x 1 2 4`
I	G#m	G# B D#	`4 6 6 x`
I	G#m	G# B D#	`x 6 6 7`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`3 3 4 x`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`6 3 1 x`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`x 3 4 6`
II	A#m	A# C# F	`6 8 8 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`0 1 2 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x 1 2 3`
III	Baug	B D# G	`4 5 6 x`
III	Baug	B D# G	`x 5 6 7`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`1 3 4 x`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`x 3 4 4`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`x 6 4 1`
IV	C#	C# F G#	`6 6 8 x`
V	D#	D# G A#	`0 1 1 x`
V	D#	D# G A#	`x 1 1 3`
V	D#	D# G A#	`3 5 6 x`
V	D#	D# G A#	`x 5 6 6`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`1 3 2 x`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`x 3 2 4`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`x 6 2 1`
VI	Fdim	F G# B	`4 6 8 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`3 5 4 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`6 5 1 x`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`x 5 4 6`
VII	Gdim	G A# C#	`x 8 4 3`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`0 1 2 x`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`x 1 2 3`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`1 5 2 x`
I	G#m(maj7)	G# B D# G	`x 5 2 4`
II	A#m7	A# C# F G#	`x 8 11 9`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`0 1 1 x`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`x 1 1 3`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`3 1 2 x`
III	Bmaj7#5	B D# G A#	`4 1 1 x`
IV	C#7	C# F G# B	`x 11 14 13`
V	D#7	D# G A# C#	`x 1 4 3`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`1 1 2 x`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`x 1 2 1`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`x 1 2 4`
VI	Fm7b5	F G# B D#	`1 3 6 x`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`0 3 1 x`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`x 3 1 3`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`0 3 4 x`
VII	Gm7b5	G A# C# F	`3 3 4 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`0 1 1 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`1 1 1 x`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`x 1 1 3`
I	G#m(maj9)	G# B D# G A#	`3 1 2 x`
II	A#m7b9	A# C# F G# B	`x 11 14 13`
III	Bmaj9#5	B D# G A# C#	`x 1 4 3`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`1 1 2 x`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`x 1 2 1`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`1 1 4 x`
IV	C#9	C# F G# B D#	`4 1 4 x`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`x 1 1 1`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`0 3 1 x`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`x 3 1 3`
V	D#9	D# G A# C# F	`0 3 4 x`
VI	Fm9b5	F G# B D# G	`x 5 8 7`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`1 3 1 x`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`x 3 1 4`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`1 3 4 x`
VII	Gm7b5b9	G A# C# F G#	`x 3 4 4`

Progressions

Crosspicking (Forward)

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

E|4-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|6-------6-----------6-----------|4-------4-----------4-----------|
D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|4-----------4-----------4-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|

E|--------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|4-------4-----------4-----------|
D|1---1-----------1-----------1---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|0-----------0-----------0-------|1-----------1-----------1-------|

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

E|3-------------------------------|
A|4-------4-----------4-----------|
D|5---5-----------5-----------5---|
G|3-----------3-----------3-------|

Crosspicking (Reverse)

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

E|4-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|6-----------6-----------6-------|4-----------4-----------4-------|
D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|4-------4-----------4-----------|3-------3-----------3-----------|

E|--------------------------------|1-------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|4-----------4-----------4-------|
D|1---1-----------1-----------1---|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
G|0-------0-----------0-----------|1-------1-----------1-----------|

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

E|3-------------------------------|
A|4-----------4-----------4-------|
D|5---5-----------5-----------5---|
G|3-------3-----------3-----------|

Crosspicking 3-3-2 (Shuffler)

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

E|4-------4-----------4-----------|1-------1-----------1-----------|
A|6---6-----------6-----------6---|4---4-----------4-----------4---|
D|6-----------6-----------6-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|4-------------------------------|3-------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------|1-------1-----------1-----------|
A|--------------------------------|4---4-----------4-----------4---|
D|1-----------1-----------1-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|0-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|

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

E|3-------3-----------3-----------|
A|4---4-----------4-----------4---|
D|5-----------5-----------5-------|
G|3-------------------------------|

Crosspicking (McReynolds 3-1-2)

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

E|4---4-----------4-----------4---|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
A|6-------6-----------6-----------|4-------4-----------4-----------|
D|6-----------6-----------6-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|4-------------------------------|3-------------------------------|

E|--------------------------------|1---1-----------1-----------1---|
A|--------------------------------|4-------4-----------4-----------|
D|1-----------1-----------1-------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
G|0-------------------------------|1-------------------------------|

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

E|3---3-----------3-----------3---|
A|4-------4-----------4-----------|
D|5-----------5-----------5-------|
G|3-------------------------------|

All mandolin lessons · The Guitar Scales