Melodic minor formula scales??

[oystersauce]

Hey guys,

My teacher has just assigned me to play melodic minor formula pattern scales. I've never played these before so it's completely new to me, but I keep screwing up the fingerings and pressing the wrong keys because it takes so much coordination to play it. I don't have sheet music either so it's difficult to correct my errors. What do you suggest I do to learn efficiently?

[sucom]

When you first begin melodic minor scales they can seem very daunting!  

However, to learn them, it might be worth trying this:

Using A minor melodic as an example:

1.  Work out the relative major.  To do this, move up three letter names A B C, and then check the 3rd note by moving up 3 semitones from A. This also leads to C so the relative major is C major.
2.  Play one octave of the C major scale to get the notes firmly fixed in your mind.
3.  Play the C major scale, only this time, begin and end on A, again over just 1 octave.
4.  Doing this means that you are already playing the A minor melodic scale when descending, because the descending melodic minor scale is the same as the relative major scale.  By natural minor, I mean the relative minor scale which uses exactly the same notes as the relative major scale.  A minor and C major have the same notes and the same key signature.
5.  In the melodic ascending form, you simply raise the 6th and 7th notes by one semitone and then put them back (natural minor) when descending.  
6.  Play C major, starting on A again, but this time, raise the 6th and 7th notes by one semitone ascending, F sharp and G sharp, and then put them back again, F and G, when descending.

Start by practising this over 1 octave first until it becomes really easy, and then try it over 2 octaves.  

I hope this helps!

[nyiregyhazi]

That's a great summary of learning the notes. I'd just add that if the fingering is going wrong, that's a red flag about fingering issues in general. Only two melodic minors require adjustments from regular patterns- so the fingering shouldn't be going wrong, if fully understood in general. Try this, for a simple system based around mental anchor points:

https://pianoscience.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/scale-fingering-made-easy.html

[sucom]

Ah yes, Nyiregyhazi's post reminded me I forgot to mention the fingering.  (Thanks for your heads up Nyiregyhazi

Trying to remember the notes and the fingering together is extremely daunting, I agree.  So perhaps one way of practising would be to repeat the first three notes of the scale, hands together, up and down and repeat this several times.  Then move onto 4 notes of the scale, up and down with hands together until they begin to fall into place without too much effort.  Then increase this to 5 notes of the scale and so on.  By the time you reach all 8 notes, you will have repeated the action so many times up and down that your fingers will fall into place without too much effort.

This method is much easier than trying to go through the whole scale and occasionally getting it wrong.  Every time you repeat it with the wrong fingering, you are basically reinforcing the wrong fingering!  You need to make sure it is accurate 'every' single time.  This will allow your memory and muscle memory to kick in. 

Persist, and do this every time you practice.  I guarantee it will help!