The harmonic minor scale formula (with S representing semitones and T representing tones) is: T – S – T – T – S – T1⁄2 – S. Or shown as whole and half steps it would be: W – H – W – W – H – W1⁄2 – H. This will help you know how to make a harmonic minor scale starting on any key. Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 10 years helping thousands of students unlock the joy of music. Harmonic minor scale formula = W-H-W-W-H-A2-H. Hopefully, you know that “W” stands for whole step and “H” for half step. In melodic composition, the augmented second interval between the sixth and seventh degrees of the harmonic minor scale is considered by many to be … This is very important to know, as this is the chord progression that appears most in the songs when the subject is harmonic minor. Often favoured in genres like heavy metal and jazz for its dark tones, harmonic minor scale guitar playing can help us add a darker element to our playing style, creating new moods that aren’t possible using just the minor scale. This resolution is typical of the harmonic minor context, as it does not exist in the natural major key or the natural minor. On the natural minor scale, the seventh degree is minor, while in the harmonic minor scale, the seventh degree is major. Harmonic Minor Scale The harmonic minor scale raises the 7th note of the natural minor scale by a half step and has the following scale formula: W – H – W – W – H – W+… For you to see this difference, let’s use the natural A minor scale and the A minor harmonic scale as an example. Great, so theoretically whenever we identify one of these chords/degrees in a song, we can apply the harmonic minor scale to our solo, since the harmony allows for this. In this music theory video lesson, we will learn how to build the harmonic minor scale. 3 - Build an A minor scale. … The first way to derive the harmonic minor scale is from the major scale, and the second method is by starting with the natural minor scale… The harmonic minor scale on C. Using The Harmonic Minor Scale In Melody. The formula for forming a harmonic minor scale is W-H-W-W-H-W 1/2-H. (Whole step – half step – whole step – whole step – half step – whole step and a 1/2 step – half step.) Be careful not to confuse these ideas! There is another way to discover the natural minor scale. This resolution is typical of the harmonic minor context, as it does not exist in the natural major key or the natural minor. For example: Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C. Harmonic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C. To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale. In addition, the dominant V7 is very easy to identify with the ear, especially in a context of a minor tonality. To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the natural minor scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale. The “A2” is for the augmented 2nd interval between the 6th & 7th sale degrees. The Hungarian minor scale, double harmonic minor scale, or Gypsy minor scale is a type of combined musical scale.It is the fourth mode of the double harmonic scale.It is the same as the harmonic minor scale, except that it has a raised fourth scale degree to introduce an additional gap, or augmented second.It is a symmetrical scale with a slightly ambiguous tonal centre, due to the many … Written as semi-notes: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1. More generally, the harmonic minor chords can be seen as follows: Im(M7) – IIm7(b5) – IIImaj7(#5) – IVm7 – V7 – VImaj7 – VII#dim. The harmonic minor scale can be derived two different ways. I’m Dan and I run this website. Thankfully, in practice, as we already mentioned in the article “How and where to apply scales“, you will hardly apply this scale thinking about the key in this way. The scale formula = 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7. The only difference between the two is in the seventh degree. We tend to say that major scales have a ‘happier’ and ‘cheerier’ sound, whereas minor scales have For example: the notes of the A natural minor scale are exactly the same as the notes of the C major scale, the A natural minor scale only starts on the A instead … So compared to the major scale (1 2 3 4 5 6 7) it’s got a minor third and a minor sixth. The context in which the harmonic minor scale most often appears in solos, riffs or arrangements is when a V7 chord resolves in a minor chord. The harmonic minor scale can be derived two different ways. Pentatonic Scale Fluency available from Amazon. Composers have gone to great lengths to set rules about what to do and what not to do when writing melodies. 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