Scales › harmonic minor

harmonic minor scale

classical minor, augmented second

What color?

Minor with b6 (b13) and major seventh, creating the famous augmented second between b13 and 7 with its classical, Eastern flavor. You draw on it over a minor when you want the dramatic tension of the leading tone pulling to the tonic.

Origin & history

The harmonic minor formalizes a practice of the Baroque and Classical eras: the seventh of the natural minor is raised to obtain a leading tone, and thus a dominant that resolves firmly to the tonic. The augmented second between its 6th and 7th degrees gives it its characteristic color; neoclassical metal has made intensive use of it.

Which chords to play it on?

The jazz consensus (Aebersold) recommends it on:

Sibling modes

The harmonic minor scale is one of the modes of the harmonic minor : it shares exactly the same notes as the modes below, but built on a different degree of the parent scale (harmonic minor).

Try it in a real chart

Paste a chord chart into the tool: Pentania tells you, chord by chord, when this scale fits — and what other colors are open to you. Open the tool →