Harmonic Minor Scale Formula and Chords

 HARMONIC MINOR


Fig. 1


What is a Harmonic Minor Scale?

Looking back at modes of the major scale, a Harmomic Minor Scale can be seen as a Natural Minor (Aeolian Mode) with a major seventh note(Fig. 1)

Fig. 2


Fig. 2 above shows a regular A Aeolian Mode. The Aeolian Mode is the 6th Mode in the Parent Scale, in this case the scale of C, whilst Fig. 1 shows the Harmonic Minor comprisong of the altered 7th note. 

The Leading Tone of the Harmonic Minor

As our ears can very easily pick up intervals in music. We can tell a half, or a whole step interval. An augmented second interval (3 half steps) would always cause trouble for composers and performers. Composers had set rules when writing melodies so no unexpected interval jumps would create an unwanted sound in the melody. The whole step movement in the Natural Minor, or Aeolian Mode, between the 7th note and the octave was something that somewhat concerned composers, so they sharpened the 7th create a 'leading tone' so it would naturally follow into the octave note.

Formula for the Harmonic Minor Scale

Whole Step - Half Step - Whole Step - Whole Step - Half Step - 3 Half Steps- Half Step



Harmonic Minor Chords


Let's have a look and see the effect of sharpening the 7th note of the Natural Minor Scale. Straight away you should be able to see that this will have an effect on chord at the the 5th degree of the scale. It now makes the 3rd of this chord a Major (being a major 3rd, rather than a minor 3rd, of the corresponding chord). although there are other chord changes, this is the most obvious. When soloing in a minor key, one would only use the Harmonic minor on a temporary basis, when the V or V7 chord appears. Use a natural Minor scale on other chords.


Courtesy of https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/DiatonicChordsInMinor.html

If we now take the above information and turn these chords into Diatonic 7ths, the Harmonic Minor chords within the scale are

AmMaj7 - Bdim - Caug - Dm7 - Edom7 - FMaj7 - G#dim



Courtesy of https://blog.revoguitarstraps.com/minor-scale-chords/

In another post, I may go through the degrees of the Harmonic Minor Scale and the corrsponding Modes, let me know what you think - anybody interested?

Songs that use Harmonic Minor 

Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
Walk Don't Run - The Ventures
Stray Cat Strut - The Stray Cats
Hotel California - The Eagles

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