C sharp harmonic minor scale

The C sharp harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 and it is built with the steps W H W W H W+H H.

Notes, formula and steps

The intervals from C♯ are root (C♯), major 2nd (D♯), minor 3rd (E), perfect 4th (F♯), perfect 5th (G♯), minor 6th (A) and major 7th (B♯). Write down the step pattern W H W W H W+H H (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step and a half): it is the fingerprint of the harmonic minor scale, whatever the starting note. This scale has 5 sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and B♯.

How to play the C sharp harmonic minor scale on piano

Start on C♯ and play C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B♯ going up, then come back down. Say the note names out loud while you play: it links the sound, the keys and the names. Practise hands separately first, slowly with the metronome, then speed up.

How to play the C sharp harmonic minor scale on guitar

On guitar, the root C♯ sits at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Start from one of these roots and play the notes of the fretboard map above in order, one string after another. The whole-neck view shows every place the C sharp harmonic minor scale appears, so you can connect the positions instead of staying in one box.

Chords in the C sharp harmonic minor scale

Stacking every other note of the scale gives one chord per degree: C♯m, D♯dim, Eaug, F♯m, G♯, A and B♯dim. These are the chords you can combine to write a progression that stays in the C sharp harmonic minor scale.

Relative and parallel scales

The C sharp harmonic minor scale is a close variant of the C sharp natural minor scale: same root and most of the same notes, with one or two altered degrees that give it its own colour. Its parallel scale, on the same root, is the C sharp major scale. Moving between them is a classic way to change colour without changing key.

About the harmonic minor scale

The natural minor with a raised 7th: dark, intense, with an exotic flavour that evokes the Middle East, flamenco or neoclassical metal. Its signature sound is the step and a half between the ♭6 and the 7, plus the leading tone a semitone below the root, which pulls hard towards the tonic and makes every cadence sound decisive.

It exists to give minor keys a major V chord: V7 to i (for example E7 to Am). Play it over that V7, over i and iv, and over the vii°7 chord. Classical music, flamenco, neoclassical metal, klezmer and Eastern European folk all use it, and its 5th mode (Phrygian dominant) colours countless flamenco and metal riffs.

On guitar, take your natural minor positions and raise the 7th by one fret, then repeat the 1½-step jump between the ♭6 and the 7 until it sits under the fingers. On piano, play it over a i iv V7 i progression in the left hand. Sing the ♭6, 7, root line slowly: it is the scale's fingerprint and the key to its phrasing.

Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7, steps W H W W H W+H H. Only one note differs from the natural minor: the raised 7th. Harmonised in sevenths, the harmonic minor gives im(maj7), iiø7, ♭IIImaj7♯5, ivm7, V7, ♭VImaj7 and vii°7, which is where the dominant V7 and the diminished seventh chord of a minor key come from.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the C sharp harmonic minor scale?

The C sharp harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B♯. Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7.

How many sharps or flats are in the C sharp harmonic minor scale?

It has 5 sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and B♯.

Which chords are in the C sharp harmonic minor scale?

One chord per degree: C♯m, D♯dim, Eaug, F♯m, G♯, A and B♯dim.

What is the relative of the C sharp harmonic minor scale?

It is a variant of the C sharp natural minor scale, with one or two altered notes. Its parallel scale is the C sharp major scale.

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