The Harmonic Minor Scale

By SaxTeacher UK20 May 202613 min read

The harmonic minor scale is one of the three minor scales in Western music — and arguably the most distinctive sounding of them. By raising the seventh note of the natural minor by a single semitone, the harmonic minor produces a striking three-semitone gap between its sixth and seventh degrees. That single interval — the augmented second — is what gives the harmonic minor scale its unmistakable, slightly exotic flavour, heard in Bach chorales, flamenco, Klezmer, jazz V7 chords, and the guitar solos of Yngwie Malmsteen. This guide covers everything a working musician or theory student needs to know: the harmonic minor scale formula, all 12 keys with notes spelt out, the raised 7th and what it does to harmony, the contexts in which the scale is used, and saxophone-specific guidance. If you have already worked through our minor scales overview, this is the natural next step.

Sound First

It is always important to think of musical concepts as sounds rather than theoretical concepts. Music is an aural discipline and it makes sense to perceive it primarily as sound. Theory can be used to unpick a sound to see how it works, but theory alone will tell you nothing about how music sounds.

Why It Matters

The raised 7th turns the V chord of a minor key from minor into major, allowing strong V→i cadences and giving jazz, classical and metal musicians the dominant tension they need.

Harmonic Minor Scale Explained — All 12 harmonic minor scales for saxophone. Featuring the A harmonic minor scale showing the raised 7th (G sharp). SaxTeacher UK tutorials.

What Is the Harmonic Minor Scale?

A natural minor scale with one altered note

The harmonic minor scale is a seven-note minor scale built from the natural minor scale by raising the seventh note by a semitone. That single change has two important consequences: it creates a leading tone (a note one semitone below the tonic that pulls strongly back to it), and it creates an unusual three-semitone gap between the sixth and seventh degrees called an augmented second. The augmented second is the harmonic minor's signature sound — the interval responsible for the scale's slightly exotic, Middle-Eastern-tinged character.

The harmonic minor scale is one of three types of minor scale, alongside the natural minor and the melodic minor. It exists for a specific musical reason: the natural minor scale lacks a leading note, which makes minor-key cadences feel weaker than major-key cadences. Raising the seventh note solves that problem, giving minor keys the harmonic strength of major keys. The scale is named for what it does to harmony, not for any special melodic property — and indeed, the awkwardness of the augmented second when used melodically is what later gave rise to the melodic minor scale.

As its name suggests, the harmonic minor functions primarily as a tool to generate harmonic movements within pieces of music. Its distinctive exotic sound has however been used in various melodies, including Juan Tizol's melody Caravan which was made famous by Duke Ellington. Other jazz standards that make use of the harmonic minor to generate melodies include Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise and Angel Eyes. Bach used the harmonic minor in Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

It is important to remember that the harmonic minor is not the same thing as a minor key. The minor key encompasses all minor possibilities, including the Natural Minor and the Melodic Minor. The raised seventh in the harmonic minor is written as an accidental every time it appears in the music. For example, A harmonic minor uses the C major key signature (no sharps or flats) plus a sharp on every G; D harmonic minor uses the F major key signature (one flat) plus a sharp on every C; and so on for each key.

The Harmonic Minor Scale Formula

The pattern of intervals, including the augmented second

Every harmonic minor scale follows the same harmonic minor formula — the same pattern of intervals between consecutive notes. Memorise this and you can build the harmonic minor scale in any key.

T — S — T — T — S — A2 — S

That is: Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Augmented Second, Semitone. American sources typically write this as W H W W H W+H H using whole steps and half steps. The "augmented second" (A2) is the unusual interval — it spans three semitones, the same distance as a minor third, but is spelt as a second because each letter name appears once in the scale.

Compare this with the natural minor formula (T S T T S T T): the harmonic minor takes the natural minor and raises the seventh note by a semitone. That raises the gap between degrees 6 and 7 from a tone to an augmented second, and shrinks the gap between degrees 7 and 8 from a tone to a semitone. The semitone between 7 and 8 is what creates the leading note — the strong pull back to the tonic that the natural minor scale lacks.

Building A Harmonic Minor From the Formula

Starting on A and applying the formula:

A +T→ B +S→ C +T→ D +T→ E +S→ F +A2→ G♯ +S→ A

This gives you A, B, C, D, E, F, G♯, A — the A harmonic minor scale. The augmented second falls between F and G♯; the leading note (G♯) sits a semitone below the tonic and resolves powerfully back to A. The scale uses no key signature accidentals (it shares the C major key signature) — only the G♯ is added as an accidental every time it appears.

🎵 Simplify the ProblemWhile the scale formula explains the relationship between the notes of the harmonic minor, it is quite challenging to use it to work out the scale notes in a real setting. The easiest way to figure out the notes of the harmonic minor is to think of the natural minor first, before raising the 7th note by a semitone. For example, A Harmonic Minor is just A natural minor, with a G#. More on this later.

Harmonic Minor vs Natural Minor — One Note's Difference

Why the raised 7th changes everything

The difference between natural minor and harmonic minor is one note: the seventh degree, raised by a semitone. In A natural minor the seventh is G; in A harmonic minor the seventh is G♯. Compare them directly:

A natural minor: A B C D E F G A
A harmonic minor: A B C D E F G♯ A

A harmonic minor on the piano — same notes as A natural minor, but with G♯ replacing G as the raised seventh.

That single change has out-of-proportion musical consequences. Three of them are worth pulling out specifically.

It Creates a Leading Note

A leading note is a note one semitone below the tonic — its name comes from how strongly it leads the ear back to the tonic. The natural minor scale's seventh degree sits a whole tone below the tonic, which is too far away to function as a strong leading note. By raising it a semitone, the harmonic minor scale puts a true leading note in place. This is the single biggest reason the harmonic minor exists: minor-key cadences need a leading note to feel as strong as major-key cadences.

It Turns the V Chord Into a Major Triad

The chord built on the fifth degree of A natural minor is E minor (E, G, B) — because the third of that chord is the natural seventh degree of the parent scale, G. In A harmonic minor the seventh degree is G♯, so the chord built on the fifth becomes E major (E, G♯, B). Adding a seventh on top makes it E7 — a dominant seventh chord. The progression E7 → Am is the classic V7 → i cadence, and it is much stronger than Em → Am. This is why the harmonic minor scale is named "harmonic" — it exists to support harmony.

It Creates the Augmented Second

Raising the seventh note widens the gap between the sixth and seventh degrees from a whole tone to a tone-and-a-half — the augmented second. In A harmonic minor this is the gap between F and G♯. The augmented second is the harmonic minor's most distinctive sound. To Western ears trained on major and natural minor, it feels exotic; in flamenco, Klezmer, traditional Middle Eastern music and many Eastern European folk styles, it is a defining flavour. In jazz, classical and metal, the augmented second is exploited for its dramatic tension.

All 12 Harmonic Minor Scales — Reference Table

Every harmonic minor scale at a glance

The table below lists all 12 harmonic minor scales in circle-of-fifths order, showing the notes in each scale, the parent natural-minor key signature, and the raised seventh degree. Filter by sharp keys, flat keys, or view them all together.

All Harmonic Minor Scales

Harmonic Minor	Notes	Key Signature	Raised 7th

Notes of Each Harmonic Minor Scale

Every key, named and spelt out

The reference table above gives you all 12 harmonic minor scales in one place. Below is the same information set out in plain prose, with each scale named in both forms ("the A harmonic minor scale" and "the scale of A harmonic minor") so you can find what you are looking for whether you arrived from a search for "the D harmonic minor scale" or "the scale of E harmonic minor".

The A Harmonic Minor Scale

The A harmonic minor scale (also called the scale of A harmonic minor) contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G♯, A. It is built from the A natural minor scale by raising the seventh degree from G to G♯. The raised seventh, G♯, is the leading note — and the augmented second falls between F and G♯. A harmonic minor is the most commonly encountered harmonic minor scale because it builds on A minor (the simplest natural minor scale) and is widely used in classical music, jazz minor ii-V-i progressions, and flamenco.

The E Harmonic Minor Scale

The E harmonic minor scale, or the scale of E harmonic minor, contains the notes E, F♯, G, A, B, C, D♯, E. It is built from the E natural minor scale (one sharp, F♯) by raising the seventh from D to D♯. The augmented second falls between C and D♯. E harmonic minor is one of the most-searched harmonic minor scales — partly because E minor is a favourite key in rock and metal, where the harmonic minor's exotic edge gets heavy use.

The B Harmonic Minor Scale

The B harmonic minor scale (the scale of B harmonic minor) contains the notes B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A♯, B. It is built from the B natural minor scale (two sharps) by raising the seventh from A to A♯. The augmented second falls between G and A♯.

The F Sharp Harmonic Minor Scale

The F♯ harmonic minor scale, or the scale of F♯ harmonic minor, contains the notes F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, E♯, F♯. It is built from the F♯ natural minor scale (three sharps) by raising the seventh from E to E♯. The E♯ is unusual — it sounds the same as F natural but is spelt as an E in this key so each letter name appears once in the scale. The augmented second falls between D and E♯.

The C Sharp Harmonic Minor Scale

The C♯ harmonic minor scale (the scale of C♯ harmonic minor) contains the notes C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A, B♯, C♯. It is built from the C♯ natural minor scale (four sharps) by raising the seventh from B to B♯ (which sounds like C natural). The augmented second falls between A and B♯.

The G Sharp Harmonic Minor Scale

The G♯ harmonic minor scale, or the scale of G♯ harmonic minor, contains the notes G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F𝄪, G♯. The raised seventh is F double-sharp (F𝄪) — the only scale on this page that requires a double-sharp, because the natural minor's seventh is already F♯ and raising it again gives F𝄪 (which sounds like G natural). In practice, many performers re-spell this scale enharmonically as A♭ harmonic minor to avoid the double-sharp.

The D Sharp Harmonic Minor Scale

The D♯ harmonic minor scale (the scale of D♯ harmonic minor) contains the notes D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C𝄪, D♯. Like G♯ harmonic minor, this scale requires a double-sharp on the seventh degree (C𝄪 sounds like D natural). Most musicians work in the enharmonic equivalent E♭ harmonic minor instead.

The D Harmonic Minor Scale

The D harmonic minor scale, or the scale of D harmonic minor, contains the notes D, E, F, G, A, B♭, C♯, D. It is built from the D natural minor scale (one flat, B♭) by raising the seventh from C to C♯. The augmented second falls between B♭ and C♯. D harmonic minor is one of the most-searched harmonic minor scales because D minor itself is heavily used — Mozart, Bach and many jazz standards live in D minor.

The G Harmonic Minor Scale

The G harmonic minor scale (the scale of G harmonic minor) contains the notes G, A, B♭, C, D, E♭, F♯, G. It is built from the G natural minor scale (two flats) by raising the seventh from F to F♯. The augmented second falls between E♭ and F♯. G minor is one of the home keys of jazz minor improvisation, so G harmonic minor sees constant use over the V7 chord (D7) in G minor ii-V-i progressions.

The C Harmonic Minor Scale

The C harmonic minor scale, or the scale of C harmonic minor, contains the notes C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B, C. It is built from the C natural minor scale (three flats) by raising the seventh from B♭ to B natural. The augmented second falls between A♭ and B. C harmonic minor is heavily used in classical writing for piano and strings and is the parallel minor of C major — useful to compare side by side.

The F Harmonic Minor Scale

The F harmonic minor scale (the scale of F harmonic minor) contains the notes F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E, F. It is built from the F natural minor scale (four flats) by raising the seventh from E♭ to E natural. The augmented second falls between D♭ and E.

The B Flat Harmonic Minor Scale

The B♭ harmonic minor scale, or the scale of B♭ harmonic minor, contains the notes B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A, B♭. It is built from the B♭ natural minor scale (five flats) by raising the seventh from A♭ to A natural. The augmented second falls between G♭ and A.

The E Flat Harmonic Minor Scale

The E♭ harmonic minor scale (the scale of E♭ harmonic minor) contains the notes E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D, E♭. It is built from the E♭ natural minor scale (six flats) by raising the seventh from D♭ to D natural. The augmented second falls between C♭ and D. E♭ harmonic minor is the enharmonic equivalent of D♯ harmonic minor and is used in preference to D♯ harmonic minor in almost all contexts.

How the Harmonic Minor Scale Is Used

From Bach to Yngwie Malmsteen

The harmonic minor scale shows up across an unusually wide range of styles, but the core musical reasons for using it are consistent: it gives a leading note, it supplies the major V chord, and it provides the augmented second as an expressive interval. Four contexts dominate.

Bach

ClassicalCadences in Minor Keys

From the Baroque era onwards, classical composers use harmonic minor specifically to provide the leading note needed for strong V→i cadences in minor keys. The scale appears in Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert — usually melodically descending, where the augmented second is less awkward.

Baroque onwards

Parker

JazzMinor ii-V-i Progressions

In a minor ii-V-i progression, jazz musicians play the harmonic minor scale of the i chord over the V7. Over E7→Am, that's A harmonic minor; over D7→Gm, that's G harmonic minor. The scale supplies the ♭9 and ♭13 tensions that make the dominant feel maximally pulled toward resolution.

Bebop & modal

Flamenco

Folk & WorldFlamenco, Klezmer, Middle Eastern

The augmented second between degrees 6 and 7 is a defining sound of flamenco, traditional Klezmer, Eastern European folk and many Middle Eastern modes. The harmonic minor is sometimes called the flamenco scale or the Spanish gypsy scale when used in these styles, and the mode built on its fifth degree is widely known as the Egyptian or Arabic scale. In these traditions the scale is used melodically with the augmented second prominently exposed, exactly the opposite of how classical music uses it.

Spanish gypsy scale

Malmsteen

Rock & MetalNeoclassical Soloing

Heavy metal and neoclassical guitarists — Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhoads — use the harmonic minor extensively for soloing, often orienting the scale around the dominant to bring the augmented second forward. The scale gave rise to an entire sub-genre, neoclassical metal.

Neoclassical metal

The Phrygian Dominant Mode

One application worth knowing about is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale — the Phrygian dominant. Like the major scale, the harmonic minor has seven modes (one mode of the harmonic minor for each degree), but the Phrygian dominant is by far the most musically useful. Starting A harmonic minor on E rather than A gives you E, F, G♯, A, B, C, D, E. This is the Phrygian dominant scale, used over V7 chords in minor keys (and in countless flamenco progressions). It is essentially the harmonic minor of the i chord, played from the V — same notes, different tonal centre. If you understand harmonic minor, you understand Phrygian dominant for free. How to use the Harmonic Minor and the Phrygian Dominant in a jazz context will be the subject of a future tutorial.

Harmonic Minor Scale for Saxophone

Harmonic minor saxophone practice — order, written pitch, and tips

The saxophone is a transposing instrument, so the harmonic minor scales you read and finger are written in a different key from the same scales played on a piano or guitar. We won't cover the mechanics of that here — for the full explanation including a live concert-to-written conversion tool, see our saxophone transposition chart. What this section covers is how to actually practise the harmonic minor scale on saxophone: which keys to start with, the fingering trouble spots specific to the raised 7th, and how the scale fits into improvisation.

Recommended Practice Order for Saxophone

Once you have the natural minor scales fluent in a few keys, work the harmonic minor versions in roughly this order in written pitch (the pitch you read and finger). The order is the same whether you play alto, tenor, soprano or baritone — saxophone fingerings are identical across the family.

Start with: A harmonic minor (raised 7th: G♯) and D harmonic minor (raised 7th: C♯). Both build on familiar natural minor scales and use straightforward fingerings for the raised note.

Then add: E harmonic minor (raised 7th: D♯), G harmonic minor (raised 7th: F♯), C harmonic minor (raised 7th: B natural) — three of the most common keys for jazz minor ii-V-i practice.

Finally: the more demanding keys — B, F♯, F, B♭, E♭ harmonic minor — which combine more accidentals with less familiar fingerings.

Harmonic Minor Scale on Alto and Tenor Saxophone

The harmonic minor scale fingerings on the alto saxophone are identical to those on tenor saxophone, soprano and baritone — only the written and sounding keys differ between the horns. The most comfortable starting harmonic minor scales for the alto saxophone in written pitch are A harmonic minor and D harmonic minor; these are also the most comfortable on tenor, soprano and bari. For improvisation work, jazz saxophonists usually prioritise G harmonic minor, C harmonic minor and F harmonic minor in written pitch, because these correspond to common jazz keys when transposed to concert pitch.

🎷 The Raised 7th — Where Sax Players StumbleThe raised seventh of the harmonic minor scale is what makes the scale worth playing — and what catches most saxophone students out the first time round. Two issues come up repeatedly. First, the augmented second from degree 6 to degree 7 is a leap most fingers don't expect after years of major-scale and natural-minor practice; play those two notes as an isolated fragment until the leap feels natural. Second, the raised 7th is an accidental, not part of the key signature, so it has to be remembered fresh every time the scale appears in a piece — easy to play it as natural by mistake. Practising the scale in the keys that put the raised 7th on a less-familiar fingering (G♯ in A harmonic minor, F♯ in G harmonic minor, B natural in C harmonic minor) is what builds reliability.

How to Practise the Harmonic Minor Scale

Tips for getting the augmented second under your fingers

Harmonic minor practice follows the same general principles as natural minor practice, but with one specific addition: the augmented second between degrees 6 and 7 needs deliberate work. Most students who already know their natural minors find the rest of the harmonic minor scale falls into place quickly — but the leap between the sixth and the raised seventh feels alien at first and stays that way until it has been drilled.

Pair Each Harmonic Minor With Its Natural Minor

Practise harmonic minor scales as a pair with their natural minor counterparts. Play A natural minor, then immediately A harmonic minor. Play E natural minor, then E harmonic minor. The difference is one note, and hearing the two side by side trains your ear to the leading-tone effect.

Isolate the Augmented Second

Play just the sixth and seventh degrees of the scale, ascending and descending, slowly. In A harmonic minor that's just F → G♯ → F → G♯, repeated. Then add the surrounding notes: E → F → G♯ → A → G♯ → F → E. This drill removes the muscle-memory expectation of a tone between degrees 6 and 7 and replaces it with the augmented-second leap.

Why Beginners Should Not Use a Metronome

Evenness of tone, evenness of rhythm and clean transitions between notes matter far more than speed. Until you really know the notes you need to play, trying to play them perfectly in time will only create tension and build bad habits. Only advanced students should practise with a metronome. Our free online metronome is built for exactly this kind of work.

For one-to-one help with harmonic minor, jazz improvisation, or grade-exam scale preparation, saxophone lessons are available in person in South East London and online. Book a lesson to get started.

Printable Harmonic Minor Scales PDF

Free download for every saxophone

Below is a free printable scale chart covering all 12 harmonic minor scales in written pitch — the pitch you read and finger on the saxophone. Print at A4 or US Letter size and keep it on your music stand. Because saxophone fingerings are identical across alto, tenor, soprano and baritone, this single PDF works for every saxophone in the family. For the natural minor and melodic minor scales as PDFs, see the dedicated natural minor and melodic minor pages.

Free Download

Harmonic Minor Scales — All 12 Keys

Works for alto, tenor, soprano & baritone • Written pitch
A4 / Letter • High resolution • Print-ready

Download PDF

The PDF is completely free — no email signup required. If you find it useful, consider sharing this page with a fellow musician or teacher.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the harmonic minor scale? +

The harmonic minor scale is a seven-note minor scale built from the natural minor scale by raising the seventh note by a semitone. This single change creates a stronger pull back to the tonic — a leading note — and produces a striking three-semitone gap (an augmented second) between the sixth and seventh degrees. The augmented second is what gives the harmonic minor scale its distinctive, slightly exotic sound, often heard in classical music, flamenco, Klezmer, jazz V7 resolutions and metal.

What is the formula for the harmonic minor scale? +

The harmonic minor scale formula is Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Semitone, Augmented Second, Semitone — abbreviated T S T T S A2 S (or W H W W H W+H H using whole steps and half steps). The augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees spans three semitones, which is what produces the scale's characteristic sound.

What is the A harmonic minor scale? +

The A harmonic minor scale contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G♯, A. It is built from the A natural minor scale by raising the seventh note from G to G♯. The G♯ is the leading note — it sits a semitone below the tonic A and creates a strong pull back to the home note. The augmented second falls between F and G♯. A harmonic minor is the most commonly taught harmonic minor scale because it builds on A minor (which uses no other accidentals).

What is the difference between natural minor and harmonic minor? +

The harmonic minor scale is identical to the natural minor scale except for one note: the seventh degree is raised by a semitone. In A natural minor the seventh is G; in A harmonic minor the seventh is G♯. That single change produces two important effects. First, it creates a leading note — a note one semitone below the tonic that strongly pulls back to it. Second, it creates an augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees, which is what gives the harmonic minor its distinctive sound.

Why is it called the harmonic minor scale? +

It is called harmonic minor because it was developed to support harmony — specifically, to allow a strong major V chord and a satisfying V→i cadence in minor keys. In the natural minor scale the chord built on the fifth degree is minor, which produces a weaker resolution. Raising the seventh degree turns the V chord into a major triad (or a dominant seventh), giving minor-key cadences the same harmonic strength as major-key cadences. The scale is named for what it does to harmony, not for any special melodic property.

When is the harmonic minor scale used? +

The harmonic minor scale appears most often in three contexts. In classical music, particularly from the Baroque era onwards, it provides the leading note needed for strong cadences in minor keys. In jazz, it is the standard scale choice over the V7 chord in a minor ii-V-i progression — playing A harmonic minor over the E7 chord that resolves to A minor. In folk and world music — flamenco, Klezmer, traditional Middle Eastern, and Eastern European music — the augmented second between degrees 6 and 7 is the defining sound of many styles. It also appears extensively in heavy metal and neoclassical guitar.

How is the harmonic minor scale used in jazz? +

In jazz, the harmonic minor scale is most commonly used over the V7 chord in a minor ii-V-i progression. If the progression is Bm7♭5 → E7 → Am, jazz musicians typically play A harmonic minor over the E7 — the harmonic minor scale of the i chord, used over the V7. This produces a ♭9 and ♭13 sound on the dominant chord, which is exactly the altered tension that resolves powerfully to the minor tonic. The scale is also a major source for harmonic minor modes such as the Phrygian dominant, used over secondary dominants.

What is the augmented second in the harmonic minor scale? +

The augmented second is the three-semitone gap between the sixth and seventh degrees of the harmonic minor scale. In A harmonic minor it falls between F and G♯ — the same distance as a minor third, but spelt as a second because each letter name appears once in the scale. The augmented second is what produces the harmonic minor's characteristic exotic, slightly Middle Eastern sound. It is also the reason composers later developed the melodic minor scale, which avoids this awkward interval when the scale is used melodically.

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