Harmonic Minor Scale Explained: Notes, Chords and How to Use It
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Play a melody in A minor, change one note, and suddenly it sounds like a film score or a dark drill loop. That one note is the whole secret of the harmonic minor scale. You may know it from music class or a theory book, but above all it is practical: it gives your melody tension and your chords a strong pull back home.
In this article you will learn what the harmonic minor scale is, how it differs from natural and melodic minor, which notes it has in all 12 keys, which chords you get from it and how to use it in your own beat or melody.
Quick answer: what is the harmonic minor scale?
Harmonic minor is the natural minor scale with a raised seventh note. In A minor, the G becomes a G#. Because of that:
- there is a big jump between the sixth and seventh notes (F to G#), which sounds classical or slightly Middle Eastern;
- the seventh note sits only a half step below the root, so it pulls hard back home;
- the chord on the fifth degree becomes major (E instead of Em), which gives a powerful resolution to Am.
The pattern: build it on any note
A half step (h) is one key up on the piano, black keys included. A whole step (W) is two keys. Harmonic minor also has one step of a step and a half (W+h), so three keys.
Pattern: W, h, W, W, h, W+h, h
Start on any note, follow the pattern and you have harmonic minor in that key. In A it looks like this:
- A harmonic minor: A, B, C, D, E, F, G#
Everything is a white key except the G#. That makes A the easiest key to learn the sound.
Natural, harmonic or melodic: the three minor scales
When people say minor, they can mean three different scales. They start the same and only differ in the sixth and seventh notes.
| Scale | Notes in A | What changes? | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | A, B, C, D, E, F, G | The starting point | Dark, calm |
| Harmonic minor | A, B, C, D, E, F, G# | Seventh raised | Dramatic, tense |
| Melodic minor | A, B, C, D, E, F#, G# | Sixth and seventh raised | Smoother, less heavy |
Melodic minor exists to smooth out the big jump in harmonic minor. In classical music it is often used only on the way up, with natural minor on the way down. In jazz, musicians usually play it the same in both directions.
Want to hear the difference between major and minor first? Read major vs minor explained.
Harmonic minor in all 12 keys
The raised seventh is always the last note. In a few keys that gives you odd names like E# or F##. That is the correct spelling, because every letter appears once in a scale. On the piano you just play the key next to it.
| Key | Notes | Raised seventh |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | A, B, C, D, E, F, G# | G# |
| E minor | E, F#, G, A, B, C, D# | D# |
| B minor | B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A# | A# |
| F# minor | F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E# | E# (key F) |
| C# minor | C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B# | B# (key C) |
| G# minor | G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F## | F## (key G) |
| Eb minor | Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, D | D |
| Bb minor | Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, A | A |
| F minor | F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, E | E |
| C minor | C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B | B |
| G minor | G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F# | F# |
| D minor | D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C# | C# |
Not sure what key your beat or sample is in? Drop it into the free Beat Lab. It gives you the BPM and key, and then you grab the right row from the table.
Which chords belong to harmonic minor?
That one raised note changes three chords compared with natural minor. In A harmonic minor you get:
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am(maj7) |
| ii° | Bdim | Bm7b5 |
| III+ | C+ (augmented: C, E, G#) | Cmaj7#5 |
| iv | Dm | Dm7 |
| V | E (major) | E7 |
| VI | F | Fmaj7 |
| vii° | G#dim | G#dim7 |
The most important one is the V. In natural minor that is Em, a fairly soft chord. In harmonic minor it becomes E or E7, and the G# inside it really wants to move to A. That is why so many minor songs end with the E to Am move. A few loops to try:
- Am, Dm, E, Am: the classic minor cadence.
- Am, F, Dm, E: dark and cinematic, the E builds tension before every repeat.
- Am, G#dim7, Am: short and menacing, great for a tense intro.
Read more about that diminished seventh chord in diminished chords explained. Want to see the standard chords for every key? Check chords by key.
How to use harmonic minor in your beat
- Find the key. Using a sample or loop? Check it in Beat Lab first. Your scale starts on that root note.
- Lay down a minor loop. With the free chord progression generator you pick Dark or Sad, choose your key, listen in your browser and download the MIDI.
- Make the last chord major. Does your loop end on the chord on the fifth degree (Em in A minor)? Raise the third to G# and it becomes E. On the repeat you will hear the loop land on Am much harder.
- Turn on the scale helper in your DAW. The piano roll in FL Studio, Logic Pro and Ableton Live 12 lets you choose a root and scale. If harmonic minor is not listed, just choose minor and raise the seventh by hand.
- Use the raised seventh as seasoning. Play a melody in natural minor and use the G# mainly right before you land on A again. That half step up to the root is what the ear wants to hear.
- Play with the jump. F to G# (or back) instantly sounds Middle Eastern or classical. Once per phrase is often enough.
Read more about building the loop itself in how to make a melody for your beat. Looking for chords for a dark beat? Also check drill chord progressions.
Harmonic minor and Phrygian dominant
If you start harmonic minor on the fifth note, E, instead of A, you get E, F, G#, A, B, C, D. That is called Phrygian dominant, the fifth mode of harmonic minor. It sounds even darker and more exotic, and you hear it a lot in dark bell and flute loops. In best scales for trap melodies you will learn how to use it in a beat, and in music modes explained you will find how modes work in general.
Common mistakes
- Using the G# everywhere. If the raised seventh also shows up over chords with a regular G, like C or Em, it clashes. Use it mainly over the V (E or E7) and right before the root.
- Mixing up scale and chords. If your melody plays G# while your chord has a G, they clash. Choose on purpose: natural or harmonic, section by section.
- The wrong root. Your melody should land on the root of the minor key (A in A minor). Otherwise the tension feels like it goes nowhere.
- Forgetting the 808. If your 808 plays a G while your melody has a G#, the whole beat sounds slightly off. Put the bassline on the roots of your chords.
Rather start writing right away?
No time to build a beat yourself? Browse the beats by NameOnTheBeat, check the key in Beat Lab and use the table above for your melody or hook. Singing yourself? Set the same key and scale in your auto-tune or pitch correction plugin, so it pulls your voice to the right notes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between harmonic and natural minor?
Only the seventh note. In harmonic minor it goes up a half step. In A minor, the G becomes a G#.
Why is it called harmonic minor?
Because the raised seventh is there mainly for the harmony, meaning the chords. With that note, the chord on the fifth degree becomes major and pulls strongly to the minor chord on the root.
How is it different from melodic minor?
Melodic minor raises both the sixth and the seventh note. That removes the step and a half, so a melody moves up more smoothly.
Is harmonic minor good for trap and drill?
Yes. The raised seventh adds a dramatic, cinematic edge that suits dark beats. Use it as seasoning: one raised note right before the loop returns to the root is often enough.
What are the notes of A harmonic minor?
A, B, C, D, E, F, G#.
Looking for more free help, like a BPM finder, master checker or rhyme finder? Check out all our free music tools.