Harmonic Minor Scale

The Harmonic Minor Scale

The easiest way of recognising a Harmonic Minor Scale is to listen for the flattened 3rd of the scale - giving it the characteristic "dark" tone of a minor key, and the augmented tone between the 6th and 7th degrees of the scale, giving it the "Eastern" or "Aladdin" feel to it.

Here's the C harmonic minor scale.

(I feel the need to tell you this video was not made by me)

So, if we look at the "Maths" side of this, and how the pattern of a Harmonic Minor scale is built up, we need to go back for a second to the good old Major scale:

Compare this with the Harmonic Minor Scale:



Notice that the 3rd note of the scale is now flat, and so is the 6th.

The effect of this is a much darker timbre to the scale, and that lovely augmented 2nd interval between the A-flat and B-natural (6th and 7th notes of the scale) gives it the distinctive harmonic minor sound.

C Harmonic Minor Scale, played by this guy on his trombone, ascending then descending hear the pattern?:

Here's a playlist of pieces of music that make use of the Harmonic minor scale in their melodic shape: