The natural minor scale with a raised 7th degree. Creates a major V chord that pulls powerfully to the tonic. The defining scale of classical cadences, flamenco, neoclassical metal, and jazz minor harmony.
The only difference from natural minor. The major 7th (raised from b7) creates a leading tone that resolves by half step to the tonic.
The raised 7th creates a major dominant chord (V or V7) instead of the minor v found in natural minor. This is WHY it sounds classical and dramatic.
The jump from b6 to #7 is an augmented 2nd (3 semitones). This unique interval gives harmonic minor its exotic, Middle Eastern, and classical character.
Formula: W - H - W - W - H - A2 - H (W=whole step, H=half step, A2=augmented 2nd). The raised 7th is highlighted in violet.
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | A Natural Minor | A Harmonic Minor | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A | A | - |
| 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | B | B | - |
| b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | C | C | - |
| 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | D | D | - |
| 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | E | E | - |
| b6 | Minor 6th | 8 | F | F | - |
| 7 | Major 7th | 11 | G (b7) | G# | Raised from G |
The raised 7th (G# in A harmonic minor) is highlighted. The interval from F (b6) to G# (major 7th) is 3 semitones, an augmented 2nd. This interval does not appear in any natural major or minor scale.
The raised 7th is highlighted in violet in every key.
| Key | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b6 | ♯7 | Camelot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Am | A | B | C | D | E | F | G# | 8A |
| Em | E | F# | G | A | B | C | D# | 12A |
| Bm | B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A# | 3A |
| F#m | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D | E# | 10A |
| C#m | C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A | B# | 5A |
| Dm | D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C# | 7A |
| Gm | G | A | Bb | C | D | Eb | F# | 6A |
| Cm | C | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | B | 5A |
| Fm | F | G | Ab | Bb | C | Db | E | 4A |
| Bbm | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | A | 3A |
| Ebm | Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb | Cb | D | 2A |
| Abm | Ab | Bb | Cb | Db | Eb | Fb | G | 1A |
Using A harmonic minor as reference. The V chord being MAJOR is the defining feature of harmonic minor harmony.
In A natural minor, the V chord is E minor (weak pull to tonic). By raising the 7th from G to G#, the V chord becomes E major or E7 (strong dominant pull). The G# resolves by half step to A. This dominant-to-tonic resolution is the foundation of classical harmony in minor keys. The scale is called "harmonic" minor because it provides this harmonic function.
| Numeral | Quality | In A Harmonic Minor | Feel | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Minor | Am | Home, dark, emotional | |
| ii° | Diminished | Bdim | Tension, unstable | |
| III+ | Augmented | Caug | Mysterious, unstable major | Unique to harmonic minor |
| iv | Minor | Dm | Sadness, depth | |
| V | MAJOR / V7 | E or E7 | STRONG pull to tonic | The defining feature |
| VI | Major | F | Contrast, warmth | |
| vii° | Diminished | G#dim | Leading tone tension |
The defining harmonic minor movement. The E7 chord contains G# which resolves powerfully to A. This is why the raised 7th exists: to create a dominant chord that pulls hard to the tonic.
The classic flamenco and metal progression. The descent from i to V creates a dramatic falling line. The V7 at the bottom gives maximum tension before the loop repeats.
Uses the augmented III chord (unique to harmonic minor) for extra drama. The Caug chord has an eerie, unstable quality before the E7 resolves back to Am.
The jazz minor ii-V-i uses harmonic minor harmony. The raised 7th (G#) appears in both the V7 and as a leading tone, creating smooth voice leading to the tonic.
| Feature | Natural Minor | Harmonic Minor | Melodic Minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale degrees | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 | 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 (asc) |
| V chord | v minor (weak pull) | V MAJOR / V7 (strong) | V7 (ascending) |
| Leading tone | None (b7 is whole step) | Yes (7 is half step) | Yes (ascending only) |
| Augmented 2nd | No | YES (b6 to #7) | No |
| Primary use | Melodic lines, rock | Cadences, harmony | Smooth jazz lines |
| Sound character | Dark, smooth, Aeolian | Exotic, dramatic | Smooth, jazz-flavored |
The iconic guitar arpeggio uses harmonic minor with the raised G# creating tension before resolution.
Mark Knopfler uses harmonic minor runs to add classical tension to the blues-based song.
The most famous harmonic minor piece in the classical repertoire. Covered by Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
The rapid scalar runs exploit the dramatic interval between b6 and #7 (the augmented 2nd, unique to harmonic minor).
The song uses the V7 (A7) chord from D harmonic minor to create the characteristic tension that resolves to Dm.
Sections of the legendary guitar solo use harmonic minor fingerings for the classical-metal tension.
| Genre | How It Is Used | Common Keys | Artists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | The defining minor key harmony for 300+ years. The V7-i cadence in harmonic minor is the foundation of all classical minor key compositions. | A, D, E, G, C | Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin |
| Flamenco | The Andalusian cadence (i-VII-VI-V) is flamenco signature. The V chord must be major (using the raised 7th) for authentic flamenco sound. | A, D, E | Paco de Lucia, Carlos Montoya |
| Neoclassical Metal | Guitar soloists combine harmonic minor scalar runs with classical phrasing for virtuosic "violin-like" lines over metal rhythm. | A, E, B | Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Paul Gilbert |
| Jazz (minor keys) | The jazz minor ii-V-i (ii half-dim - V7b9 - i) uses harmonic minor harmony. The V7b9 is the dominant chord built on harmonic minor. | Any | Miles Davis, Coltrane, Bill Evans |
| Film Score / Horror | The augmented 2nd interval (b6 to #7) creates an exotic tension perfect for suspense, danger, and villain themes. | D, A, E | Bernard Herrmann, Hans Zimmer |
| Middle Eastern / World | The augmented 2nd interval in harmonic minor is characteristic of Arabic maqam and Turkish makam modal systems. | D, G | Various traditional music traditions |
E7 (in A harmonic minor) is the most powerful cadence tool. Use it at phrase endings and before Am for maximum dramatic resolution.
The G# in A harmonic minor creates tension as a leading tone. Approach from F (the augmented 2nd jump) or use it resolving up to A for classical phrasing.
The i-VII-VI-V progression (Am-G-F-E7) is one of the most dramatic sequences in Western music. Loop it as a verse foundation or use it for a climactic section.
The augmented 2nd (F to G# in A) sounds awkward in a scalar run. Many composers use natural minor ascending (with G) and only use G# in the V chord harmony.
If a sample has a major V chord but the rest feels minor, it is probably harmonic minor. Detect the key with BeatKey then listen for whether the dominant chord is major (E major in Am) or minor.
Most composers mix both in the same key. Use natural minor for flowing melodic lines and harmonic minor for cadences (V7-i resolution). The two scales coexist in the same key.
Upload your audio to BeatKey to get the key and Camelot code. If it returns a minor key, it could be natural, harmonic, or melodic minor.
If the V chord sounds major (E major in an Am track), the song uses harmonic minor. Look up the notes using the chart above to find the raised 7th.
Use Chord Finder to detect exact chords in the sample. A major V chord in a minor key context confirms harmonic minor.
The harmonic minor scale is a natural minor scale with a raised 7th degree. For example, A harmonic minor is A-B-C-D-E-F-G# (vs A natural minor: A-B-C-D-E-F-G). The raised 7th creates a major V chord which pulls powerfully back to the tonic. It is called "harmonic" minor because it provides proper harmonic function in minor keys.
A harmonic minor contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G#. The G# (raised 7th) distinguishes it from A natural minor (which has G natural). The G# creates a leading tone that resolves by half step to A, and makes the V chord (E major or E7) a dominant chord instead of E minor.
The only difference is the 7th degree. Natural minor has a flat 7 (b7), creating a minor v chord with a weak pull to the tonic. Harmonic minor raises the 7th to a major 7, creating a major V chord (dominant 7th) with a much stronger pull. Classical composers use harmonic minor for cadences and natural minor for melodic lines.
Harmonic minor is used in classical music (the standard minor key harmony for 300+ years), flamenco (Andalusian cadence), neoclassical metal (Yngwie Malmsteen, Paganini-inspired guitar solos), jazz (minor ii-V-i progressions), and film scores (suspense and danger cues). The augmented 2nd interval also gives it a Middle Eastern and Arabic character used in world music.
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