How to use and apply the Harmonic Minor Scale
Intermediate and Advanced Guitar Lesson
The harmonic minor scale has a Middle Eastern sound and is very exotic in nature. A cultural sound that we are not accustomed to here in North America. Unlike the major scale, the minor keys offer a little bit more variety when it comes to improvisation.The harmonic minor is one of the 3 scales we have to choose from when it comes to improvising over a minor key. The 3 choices we have to improvise with are C minor (Aeolian scale), C harmonic minor scale and the C melodic minor scale. In jazz we call it the real melodic minor scale that ascends and descends the same way in each direction when you play it. The classical way of playing the melodic minor is to play it melodic minor ascending and natural or Aeolian on the way down. I will go more in depth about the real melodic minor scale and it’s uses in another article, for now I want to concentrate on the C harmonic minor scale.
Harmonic minor Theory:
The construction of the harmonic scale is as follows: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 = C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B
By memorizing the number formula you can modify all 12 major scales to get the right notes that belong to the harmonic minor scale. In this case we chose C major. The formula for the major is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = C, D, E, F, G, A, B. So the harmonic minor formula is telling us to alter the E note in C major to an E flat and the A to Ab. In other words flat the 3 and the 6th of any major scale and it will give you the notes of the harmonic minor scale. The same theory may be applied to the Aeolian scale by using the theory formula below.
Click on the link to download the tab to: The 5 C harmonic Minor Boxed Scale Patterns
Click on the link to download the tab to: C Harmonic minor Variations or Combined Boxed Patterns
Aeolian/ minor Theory:
The construction of the Aeolian scale is as follows: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7= C, D, Eb F, G, Ab, Bb
Click on the link to download the tab to: The C Aeolian (Minor Scale)
The Chords generated from the C minor (Aeolian Scale)
I mi = C mi 7
II mi 7 b5 = D mi 7b5
bIII maj 7= Ebmaj
IVmi 7= Fmi 7
V mi 7= Gmi 7
bVI maj 7= Ab maj7
bVll 7 = Bb7
The video below is a demonstration on how to use & combine the C harmonic minor with the C Aeolian scale in your improvised guitar solos. Please click on the links below to download the C harmonic minor & C Aeolian guitar tabs
The Chords generated from the C Harmonic minor
I mi maj7 = C mi maj 7
II mi 7 b5 = D mi 7b5
bIII maj 7 #5= Ebmaj 7#5
IVmi 7= Fmi 7
V7= G7
bVI maj 7= Ab maj7
Vll dim 7 = B dim 7
Composing Songs in minor keys
When composing a song or creating a chord progression try experimenting with both scales by substituting the different chords that each scale produces.
C Aeolian and harmonic minor applications over minor chord progressions Examples:
The chord progression below comes from the C Aeolian Scale:
Imi IVmi 7 bVI maj Vi mi 7
|C mi | Fmi7 | Ab maj |Gmi 7 |
Rules:
— — — use C Aeolian — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
— -use C harmonic minor over the I mi chord.
C Aeolian application rule: You can pretty much get away with using C Aeolian over the whole chord progression. All the notes are diatonic to the key and will sound pleasing to the ear.
C harmonic minor application rule: You can use the C harmonic minor over the Imi. Experiment with C harmonic minor over the rest of the chord progression. Be careful and use it as a passing tone on the up beats because the B natural will conflict with some of the other chords other than C mi. Making the B natural ring out on the Fmi 7,Gmi 7 or Ab maj chords will sound wrong. Mix C Aeolian up with C harmonic minor and improvise with the harmonic minor scale sparingly to create variety in your playing.
The chord progression below comes from the C harmonic minor Scale:
Imi IVmi 7 VI maj V 7
|C mi | Fmi7 | Ab maj |G7 |
Rules:
— use C Aeolian will also work over the whole chord progression.
— -use C harmonic minor Over the V7 b9 chord
— Use C harmonic minor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Over the I chord & the whole
chord progression
C harmonic minor will work over the I Chord, IImi 7 b 5, III maj 7#5, V7 b9, and the B dim 7 chords. Handle with care when used over Fmi 7 or Ab maj7 as mentioned above.
C Aeolian over the V7 or G7 will give your solo a (Dominant 7th)Phrygian sound. The Phrygian sound will produce a minor sound for the Gmi in C Aeolian. In a C harmonic minor chord progression it will produce a G7 b9 sus11 sound or a G7 #9 sus 11 sound when played over the G 7. In other words both C harmonic minor and C Aeolian will work over G7.
Recommended Learning Material:
If you would like to learn more about the Harmonic minor scale and how to apply it to different situations. I recommend you look into getting a copy of Don Mock’s Book Guitar Secrets: Harmonic Minor Revealed. Don is highly regarded as a top jazz educator in the country and is one of the original instructors at Guitar Institute of Technology in California. Don provides you with examples on the application for these exotic sounds. This book will keep you from spending a lot of time practicing scales that you couldn’t figure out how to use properly. I recommend this book as an aid to further your studies of the harmonic minor scale.
Another great book that goes into great deal about chords, modes, scales and harmony is The Advancing guitarist. Mick Goodrick is an American jazz guitarist who has spent most of his career as a teacher.There is chapter in the book where he talks about harmonic minor theory and gives you food for thought on how you should go about applying and using this scale in your improvised solos and how to create a chord progression from the harmonic minor theory. It is do it yourself book where he makes a suggestion on how to practice and he gives you advise on what you can do with theory or the scales. Then it is up to you to follow through with the exercises. It has a life time of material for you to explore and discover as a guitarist. Best of all you can start anywhere in the book so you can choose the chapter you want to study first.
Subscribe to our Newsletter Like us on: FB or Follow on Twitter & Instagram
