Scales and modes
Harmonic minor scale
The harmonic minor scale is natural minor with a raised seventh (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7), which creates a leading tone and turns the five chord into a major dominant.
What is the harmonic minor scale?
The harmonic minor scale takes the natural minor scale and raises the seventh by a half step. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7.
In A: A B C D E F G#. Between F and G# there is a step and a half (an augmented second), and that gap is what gives the scale its exotic, neoclassical flavour the moment you hear it.
As steps: W, H, W, W, H, W+H, H.
Why is it called harmonic minor?
Because it exists to fix the harmony, not the melody. In natural minor, the 5th degree gives Em, a chord with no pull. With G#, it becomes E (or E7: E G# B D), a real dominant chord: G# sits a half step below A and wants to resolve to the tonic.
That is why the cadence E7 to Am sounds so final. The scale harmonized in four-note chords:
- Am(maj7), Bm7♭5, Cmaj7#5, Dm7, E7, Fmaj7, G#dim7
The last one is a diminished seventh chord (G# B D F), which can stand in for E7 in almost any progression.
How do you play harmonic minor on the fretboard?
Take the 5th-fret A natural minor shape and change every G to G#:
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5, 7, 8 | A B C |
| 5 | 5, 7, 8 | D E F |
| 4 | 6, 7 | G# A |
| 3 | 4, 5, 7 | B C D |
| 2 | 5, 6, 9 | E F G# |
| 1 | 5, 7, 8 | A B C |
On the B string, the stretch from F (6th fret) to G# (9th fret) lets you feel the augmented second under your fingers. To see it in other keys and positions, use the guitar scales tool.
When to use harmonic minor: a practice drill
A simple rule: play natural minor over Am, Dm and F, and harmonic minor over E7. Loop Am Dm E7 Am, one bar each, and try this:
- Over E7, play the G# B D F arpeggio around the 6th fret (D string 6th fret, G string 4th fret, G string 7th fret, B string 6th fret).
- Resolve to A on the D string, 7th fret, as Am comes back.
- Then move the diminished arpeggio up 3 frets (9th, then 12th): the chord is symmetrical, so the notes stay the same.
Played from E, the scale gives E F G# A B C D, the Phrygian dominant sound used all over flamenco and metal on an E major chord.
Key takeaways
- Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7, natural minor with a major 7th.
- A harmonic minor: A B C D E F G#.
- Use it mainly over the V7 chord (E7 in A minor) and over G#dim7.
- The F to G# augmented second is its signature sound.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between natural minor and harmonic minor?
One note: the seventh. In A, natural minor has G and harmonic minor has G#. That change turns Em into E (or E7) and creates the leading tone that classical cadences rely on.
Why does harmonic minor sound Middle Eastern?
Because of the augmented second between the ♭6 and the 7 (F and G# in A), a jump of three frets between two neighbouring scale steps. That interval is common in Middle Eastern, Eastern European and flamenco music.
What scale should I play over E7 in A minor?
A harmonic minor, which becomes Phrygian dominant when you hear it from E (1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7). Aim for G# and D, the defining notes of E7, then resolve to A or C when Am arrives.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.