What is Melodic Minor Bebop Scale?

The melodic minor bebop scale, like all bebop scales, is built with eight notes. It can be seen as the melodic minor scale with an added note, the sharp fifth (#5), between the 5 and 6, thus giving the following interval pattern : 1 (tonic), 2 (major second), b3 (minor third), 4 (perfect fourth), 5 (perfect fifth), #5 (augmented fifth), 6 (major sixth) and major seventh (7).

Formula Chart

As explains in the introduction of this lesson, the melodic minor (Bebop) scale has a chromatic passing tone (#5) between the fifth (5) and the sixth (6). It is represented in Red in the following chart and shapes. It is basically used over minor 6 chords (1 – b3 – 5 – 6)

Melodic Minor Bebop Scale Formula — Melodic Minor (Bebop) Scale Formula

Comparison of Bebop Scale — Comparison of (Bebop) Scale

Another important difference between these two scales is the sixth which is major (6) in the melodic minor bebop and minor (b6) in the harmonic minor bebop.