Lesson fff: The Minor Scale Introduction

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The melodic minor scale:
The melodic minor scale provides a further modification of the minor scale to accommodate certain melodic situations. As with the harmonic minor scale, the melodic minor has a leading tone instead of a subtonic. This raised seventh scale degree serves the same purpose as it did with the harmonic minor scale: it creates dissonant tension that resolves to the tonic. Just as the V chord in Example 7 resolves to tonic harmony, the leading tone of the melodic minor scale will tend to resolve to scale degree 8. This type of goal-directed melodic motion is at the heart of tonal music.
Raising scale degree 7 to create a leading tone, however, leads to another problem. By raising the subtonic we create an augmented second between the sixth and seventh scale degrees:
Example 12:

~~Augmented intervals are always considered dissonant.~~ (and the tendency for flat6 to pull towards 5…) To avoid this dissonance in ascending melodies, we raise the sixth scale degree as well (contracting the intervals between 6 and 7 to a major second). It is important to remember that scale degrees 6 and 7 are only raised in ascending minor melodies whose goal is 8. In other words, if the melodic motion is directed downwards, the sixth and seventh scale degrees need not be raised (to do so would create tension pulling back up to 8). The following example summarizes this information:
Example 13:

The ascending melodic minor scale has raised 6 and 7. The descending melodic minor scale has natural 6 and 7.
Conclusion:
Unlike the major scale, the minor scale has several variants. Of these, the natural minor scale is primary. When the word “diatonic” is used in the context of a minor key, it refers to pitches from the natural minor scale. However, because of its internal structure, the natural minor scale is not always able to perform important tonal functions. One of the most important characteristics of tonal music is the relationship between tonic and dominant. This relationship is weakened in minor because the lack of a leading tone deprives the dominant of a significant tendency tone.
To compensate for this shortcoming, the harmonic minor scale raises the seventh scale degree from a subtonic to a leading tone. This lends a stronger dominant function to the chords built on scale degrees 5 and 7 in minor. Likewise, it is often preferable for tonal melodies to be goal-oriented, particularly when the tonic pitch is the destination in question. The lack of a leading tone in minor weakens the pull to 8. As with the harmonic minor scale, the melodic minor scale raises scale degree 7 to reinstate this direction of motion. However, to avoid the dissonant augmented second between 6 and 7, scale degree 6 must also be raised in ascending minor melodies. Since 8 is not the goal of a descending minor melody, the descending melodic minor scale uses natural 6 and 7.
It is important to remember that the natural minor scale is the basis of the other two variations. The harmonic and melodic minor scales do not constitute keys in their own right the way the natural minor scale does. Rather, they should be thought of as adjustments to be used in situations where normal tonal procedures are thwarted by the construction of the minor scale.

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