The Harmonic Minor Scale
The harmonic minor scale takes the natural minor and raises one note — and that single change gives minor keys a strong pull back to the tonic, plus a distinctive, exotic color.
What is the harmonic minor scale?
The natural minor scale has a flat 7th degree, which means it lacks a strong "leading tone" pulling back up to the tonic the way major does. The harmonic minor scale fixes that by raising the 7th degree a semitone — giving minor keys a proper leading tone while keeping every other note the same as natural minor.
The harmonic minor formula
Compared to the W-W-H-W-W-W-H formula of major, harmonic minor rearranges the whole and half steps — and inserts one gap that's a step and a half wide:
That "W+H" step (three semitones, called an augmented second) sits between the 6th and 7th degrees. It's the source of harmonic minor's signature sound — you'll hear it in classical music, flamenco, metal, and Middle Eastern-influenced pop.
How to build harmonic minor in any key
Let's build A harmonic minor. Start on A and apply W–H–W–W–H–(W+H)–H:
- A → whole step → B
- B → half step → C
- C → whole step → D
- D → whole step → E
- E → half step → F
- F → augmented 2nd → G♯
- G♯ → half step → A (octave)
So A harmonic minor is A B C D E F G♯ — the same as A natural minor, but with G raised to G♯. Try selecting A in the Scale Explorer above and comparing it to the natural minor scale.
The seven scale degrees
| Degree | Name | In A harmonic minor | Semitones from tonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A | 0 |
| 2 | Supertonic | B | 2 |
| ♭3 | Mediant | C | 3 |
| 4 | Subdominant | D | 5 |
| 5 | Dominant | E | 7 |
| ♭6 | Submediant | F | 8 |
| 7 | Leading tone (raised) | G♯ | 11 |
Why it matters
Harmonic minor exists to solve a real problem: without a raised 7th, a minor key's dominant chord (V) is itself minor and doesn't pull strongly back to the tonic. Harmonic minor's raised 7th turns that V chord major, creating a proper V→i cadence in minor keys — the backbone of classical minor-key harmony, and a favorite color in neoclassical and metal guitar playing.
Common questions
What is the harmonic minor scale formula?
Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Half-Augmented2nd-Half. It's natural minor with the 7th degree raised a semitone, creating a 3-semitone gap between the 6th and 7th.
What notes are in A harmonic minor?
A, B, C, D, E, F, G♯, and back to A — identical to A natural minor except G is raised to G♯.
Why does the harmonic minor scale sound exotic?
The augmented second between the 6th and 7th degrees gives it a Middle Eastern or flamenco flavor, while the raised 7th still resolves strongly to the tonic.
How is harmonic minor different from natural minor?
Only the 7th degree differs — harmonic minor raises natural minor's flat 7th by a semitone into a true leading tone.
Hear every minor scale on your instrument
Melody Monkey visualizes scales on a live guitar, bass, ukulele, or piano — in any key, instantly.
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