JamEaseGuitar scales › Harmonic Minor Scale
A Harmonic Minor Scale – Guitar
A natural minor scale with a raised 7th: the neoclassical, exotic sound of Malmsteen and Gypsy jazz. Here it is in A: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.
Notes in the A harmonic minor scale
- A1
- B2
- Cb3
- D4
- E5
- Fb6
- G♯7
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in A minor, and over A blues and rock progressions.
A harmonic minor scale on the whole neck
Know the scale?
Now solo with it.
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- Every note on the neck, with sound and TAB
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The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB
Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.
Box 1 · frets 4–9
e|-----------------------------------4-5-7-8-| B|-----------------------------5-6-9---------| G|---------------------4-5-7-9---------------| D|---------------6-7-9-----------------------| A|---------5-7-8-----------------------------| E|-4-5-7-8-----------------------------------|
Box 2 · frets 6–11
e|-------------------------------------------------7--8--10-| B|----------------------------------------6--9--10----------| G|-------------------------------7--9--10-------------------| D|-------------------6--7--9--10----------------------------| A|----------7--8--11----------------------------------------| E|-7--8--10-------------------------------------------------|
Box 3 · frets 8–14
e|-------------------------------------------------------------8--10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------------------9--10-12-13-------------| G|-------------------------------------9--10-13-14-------------------------| D|-------------------------9--10-12-14-------------------------------------| A|-------------8--11-12-14-------------------------------------------------| E|-8--10-12-13-------------------------------------------------------------|
Box 4 · frets 11–16
e|-------------------------------------------------12-13-16-| B|----------------------------------------12-13-15----------| G|-------------------------------13-14-16-------------------| D|----------------------12-14-15----------------------------| A|----------11-12-14-15-------------------------------------| E|-12-13-16-------------------------------------------------|
Box 5 · frets 1–6
e|-----------------------------------1-4-5-| B|---------------------------1-3-5-6-------| G|-------------------1-2-4-5---------------| D|-------------2-3-6-----------------------| A|-------2-3-5-----------------------------| E|-1-4-5-----------------------------------|
A minor backing track
Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.
A Minor Blues Backing Track - Best Backing Jam Tracks - Slow Minor Blues 80 BPM A Minor Pentatonic – Backing Jam Tracks
Songs in A minor
These songs are in A minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:
- House Of The Rising Sun – The Animals
- Hurt – Johnny Cash
- Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra
- Stay With Me – Sam Smith
- I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
- Skinny Love – Bon Iver
- Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
- Aint No Sunshine – Bill Withers
- Fall For You – Secondhand Serenade
- Happier – Ed Sheeran
- Mr Jones – Counting Crows
- Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry
Other scales in A
- A Minor Pentatonic Scale
- A Major Pentatonic Scale
- A Blues Scale
- A Major Blues Scale
- A Major Scale
- A Natural Minor Scale
- A Dorian Mode
- A Mixolydian Mode
- A Phrygian Mode
- A Lydian Mode
- A Melodic Minor Scale
Harmonic Minor Scale in other keys
- C Harmonic Minor Scale
- C♯ Harmonic Minor Scale
- D Harmonic Minor Scale
- E♭ Harmonic Minor Scale
- E Harmonic Minor Scale
- F Harmonic Minor Scale
- F♯ Harmonic Minor Scale
- G Harmonic Minor Scale
- G♯ Harmonic Minor Scale
- B♭ Harmonic Minor Scale
- B Harmonic Minor Scale
Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.
FAQ
What notes are in the A harmonic minor scale?
A, B, C, D, E, F, G#. The formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7.
Where do I start playing the A harmonic minor scale on guitar?
Start with Box 1, frets 4–9. The root note A is on the low E string at fret 5.