3NPS: Melodic Minor Vs Major Scale (With Intervals)

Do you feel like there's no end to the number of guitar scale patterns and every other one you find seems to be different and unrelated, even though they have similar titles?

In this reference chart we're focusing on the concept of learning something new by comparing it with a similar alternative you already know. In our case, we are comparing Melodic Minor with the Major scale, side-by-side, note-by-note, highlighting the changes. You'll see how a "new" pattern is derived from an existing pattern, and from that point onwards you'll not think of the new pattern as "unrelated" anymore.

The biggest advantage of this approach is that you don't have to memorize a whole new scale pattern. Instead, you only need to learn the changes. Plus, we're using a 3NPS system which is consistent and predictable by design. What that means for you is that even with these changes all patterns still remain strictly 3-notes-per-string.

Our ultimate goal is for you to think in terms of "this new scale is like this other one I know except for one small change". Once you make this connection, you'll have nailed the concept!

Chart features

Side-by-side. 2 patterns that are being compared are placed visually side-by-side, so you can easily hop back and forth between the two to see the changes which are emphasized with bold arrows and highlighted tones.

Relevant highlighting only. To help you stay focused on the relevant changes, I've deliberately avoided highlighting anything that could be distracting, such as the roots. The roots are still indicated by square shapes, but they are not color-coded differently to avoid drawing too much attention to them.

7 patterns. The changes are shown for each of the available seven 3NPS patterns, so you had the complete set to analyze and experiment with.

From 7 patterns to 3. The good news is you don't have to learn all 7 patterns. There are only 3 main patterns you should learn which cover 95% of the fretboard. Even though minimizing the number of 3NPS patterns is a topic which deserves separate consideration, I've still decided to mention it here and mark 4 redundant patterns with an asterisk to let you save time and learn even more effectively early on. Or at least to raise awareness about it.

Movable patterns. You can shift any pattern so that its root note aligns with the root note of your choice.

Scale formulas. Both Melodic Minor and the Major scale numeric scale formulas are included so that you don't need to look up another reference. The difference that is being highlighted in guitar diagrams is also visually reflected in the formulas by highlighting scale degrees that are different.

Intervals. Notes of the scales in the fretboard diagrams are shown as intervals (scale degrees relative to the Major scale). As you can see for yourself, having them visible instead of concrete note names allows us to easily make the necessary adjustments to the scale patterns to match the difference we see in the formulas. How cool is that?