The harmonic minor scale on the guitar in the key of C♯
The Harmonic Minor scale is known for its exotic and somewhat mysterious sound. It features a distinctive raised seventh note, which creates a unique tension and resolution. This scale is often used in classical, jazz, and metal music to add a dramatic and intense quality to compositions.
Composers and musicians use the Harmonic Minor scale to craft melodies that are both haunting and compelling. Its unique structure allows for the creation of intricate and memorable musical phrases. This scale is also a staple in many traditional music styles from around the world, adding an authentic and culturally rich element to the music.
In terms of harmony, the Harmonic Minor scale enables the formation of chords that have a distinctive and powerful sound. These chords can be used to create tension and drama within a piece, making it more engaging and emotionally impactful. Whether you're writing a classical symphony or a modern metal track, the Harmonic Minor scale offers a wealth of creative possibilities.
Switch between chromatic/diatonic/notes below to see/learn the relations between them. For convenience, the root note (C♯) is highlighted in red.
The harmonic minor scale explained for guitar players
Once you learned about Intervals you are ready to learn the scales. Scales are a selection of the 12 notes from the "chromatic" scale (which is just a fancy name for all the 12 notes). Scales are constructed with stepped intervals.
The relative steps of the harmonic minor scale are: w-h-w-w-h-wh-h (w=whole step, h=half step, w=whole and half step).
Let's explore how that exactly works:
harmonic minor scale in chromatic intervals
To explain the the harmonic minor scale best, take a look at the piano. Especially to the highlighted notes. Those are the notes in the harmonic minor scale. Here is how it looks on piano:
Notice the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
harmonic minor scale in diatonic intervals
If we would re-number the red highlighted notes from previous section, we get the harmonic minor scale , which looks like this on piano:
Notice again the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
Musical step names
The steps (also known as conjunct motion) of a diatonic scale are known by these names:- 1st – Tonic (key or root note)
- 2nd – Supertonic
- 3rd – Mediant
- 4th – Subdominant
- 5th – Dominant
- 6th – Submediant
- 7th – Leading tone
- 8th – Tonic (Octave)
What is the scale degree of harmonic minor scale?
The scale degree tells how the scale is transformed.
The relative steps of the harmonic minor scale are: w-h-w-w-h-wh-h
The diatonic intervals 3♭6♭ are flat, hence the ♭ sign. Flat means to go down a half step. On piano that's one key down, on a guitar that's one fret down.
If you scroll back to the piano above, you'll notice the black keys correspond to this.
What does diatonic mean?
The term "diatonic" refers to a scale that uses a mix of whole steps and half steps. When we say "diatonic," we mean notes that belong to the scale. For example, if you're playing in the key of C♯ major and using C♯ major notes, those notes are diatonic.
In the piano example above, you saw that only the notes from the scale are used. This means they only include notes "of the scale." Knowing about diatonic notes is important for understanding music theory and making melodies that sound good.
Using diatonic notes helps musicians keep their music in key, making it sound smooth and pleasant. Understanding diatonic notes will improve your musical skills and creativity.
| Scale name | Interval | Degree | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major scale | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-w-h-w-w-w-h |
| Minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7 | w-h-w-w-h-w-w |
| Melodic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-h-w-w-w-w-h |
| Harmonic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7 | w-h-w-w-h-wh-h |
| Minor blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Major blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Minor pentatonic scale | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-w-wh-w |
| Major pentatonic scale | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | w-w-wh-w-wh |
| Overview of more scales | |||
- Musical Scale Degree
- ♭=half step down, ♯=half step up, ♯♯=whole step up
- Musical Steps
- w=whole step, h=half step, wh=whole and half step
As you might notice, the scales have 7 notes, except for the blues and pentatonic scales.