F sharp melodic minor scale on cavaquinho

The F sharp melodic minor scale has 7 notes: F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E♯ (F sharp, G sharp, A, B, C sharp, D sharp, and E sharp).

F♯ F sharp 1
G♯ G sharp 2
A ♭3
B 4
C♯ C sharp 5
D♯ D sharp 6
E♯ E sharp 7

BPM

Rhythm Metronome

F sharp melodic minor scale on cavaquinho: the whole fretboard with the notes F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E#, from fret 0 to 17

Whole neck: every note of the scale up to fret 17. The root (F♯) is highlighted.

Positions as text

Position 7 (frets 2 to 7), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 3 (E♯), 4 (F♯), 6 (G♯)
string 3: 2 (A), 4 (B), 6 (C♯)
string 2: 4 (D♯), 6 (E♯), 7 (F♯)
string 1: 6 (G♯), 7 (A)

Position 1 (frets 4 to 8), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 4 (F♯), 6 (G♯), 7 (A)
string 3: 4 (B), 6 (C♯), 8 (D♯)
string 2: 6 (E♯), 7 (F♯)
string 1: 6 (G♯), 7 (A)

Position 2 (frets 6 to 10), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 6 (G♯), 7 (A), 9 (B)
string 3: 6 (C♯), 8 (D♯), 10 (E♯)
string 2: 7 (F♯), 9 (G♯), 10 (A)
string 1: 9 (B)

Position 3 (frets 7 to 11), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 7 (A), 9 (B), 11 (C♯)
string 3: 8 (D♯), 10 (E♯), 11 (F♯)
string 2: 9 (G♯), 10 (A)
string 1: 9 (B), 11 (C♯)

Position 4 (frets 9 to 13), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 9 (B), 11 (C♯), 13 (D♯)
string 3: 10 (E♯), 11 (F♯), 13 (G♯)
string 2: 10 (A), 12 (B)
string 1: 11 (C♯), 13 (D♯)

Position 5 (frets 11 to 15), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 11 (C♯), 13 (D♯), 15 (E♯)
string 3: 11 (F♯), 13 (G♯), 14 (A)
string 2: 12 (B), 14 (C♯)
string 1: 13 (D♯), 15 (E♯)

Position 6 (frets 13 to 16), from the lowest note to the highest:

string 4: 13 (D♯), 15 (E♯), 16 (F♯)
string 3: 13 (G♯), 14 (A), 16 (B)
string 2: 14 (C♯), 16 (D♯)
string 1: 15 (E♯), 16 (F♯)

Fretboard positions

Each position fits within 5 frets, with 2 to 3 notes per string, and starts on a scale note on the lowest string. Position 1 starts on the root (F sharp).

On the cavaquinho the strings sit close together in pitch, and the 3-notes-per-string shape from the guitar would turn into a 7-fret stretch. That is why each position here fits within 5 frets.

Use Degrees to see the role of each note (1 is the root) and Listen to hear the selected position going up and down.

Formula

F♯
W
G♯
H
A
W
B
W
C♯
W
D♯
W
E♯
H
F♯

Degrees: 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7. Steps: W – H – W – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step).

About the melodic minor scale

Minor with major 6th and 7th (the jazz form). A minor sound, but bright.

Harmonized scale (chords in the key)

The chords that come from the scale, stacking thirds from each note.

Degree	Triad	Seventh chord	Function
Im	F♯m	F♯m(7M)	tonic
IIm	G♯m	G♯m7	subdominant
III+	A+	A7M(#5)	tonic
IV	B	B7	subdominant
V	C♯	C♯7	dominant
VI°	D♯°	D♯m7(b5)	subdominant
VII°	E♯°	E♯m7(b5)	dominant

Scales with the same notes

B Nordestina (Brazilian baião)

More F sharp scales

Melodic minor in other keys

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the F sharp melodic minor scale?

The notes of the F sharp melodic minor scale are F sharp, G sharp, A, B, C sharp, D sharp, and E sharp. The root, degree 1, is F sharp.

What is the formula of the F sharp melodic minor scale?

In degrees: 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7. In steps between the notes: W – H – W – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step).

How do you play the F sharp melodic minor scale on cavaquinho?

Each position fits within 5 frets, with 2 to 3 notes per string, and starts on a scale note on the lowest string. Position 1 starts on the root (F sharp). There are 7 positions on cavaquinho, each with the full fingering.

Which chords belong to the F sharp melodic minor scale?

The chords of the harmonized scale are: F♯m, G♯m, A+, B, C♯, D♯°, E♯°.

On other instruments

All scales on cavaquinho