C♯ 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 C♯: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the C♯ harmonic minor scale

C♯1
D♯2
Eb3
F♯4
G♯5
Ab6
B♯7

Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in C♯ minor, and over C♯ blues and rock progressions.

C♯ harmonic minor scale on the whole neck

C# Harmonic Minor Scale on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (C#).

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<iframe src="https://jamease.app/embed/scales/c-sharp-harmonic-minor" width="100%" height="300" style="border:0;max-width:900px" loading="lazy" title="C# Harmonic Minor Scale on the guitar neck"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://jamease.app/scales/c-sharp-harmonic-minor">C# Harmonic Minor Scale on guitar</a> – diagram by JamEase</p>

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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 8–13

C# Harmonic Minor Scale, box 1

e|----------------------------------------------------8--9--11-12-|
B|-------------------------------------------9--10-13-------------|
G|-------------------------------8--9--11-13----------------------|
D|----------------------10-11-13----------------------------------|
A|-------------9--11-12-------------------------------------------|
E|-8--9--11-12----------------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 10–15

C# Harmonic Minor Scale, box 2

e|-------------------------------------------------11-12-14-|
B|----------------------------------------10-13-14----------|
G|-------------------------------11-13-14-------------------|
D|-------------------10-11-13-14----------------------------|
A|----------11-12-15----------------------------------------|
E|-11-12-14-------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 1–6

C# Harmonic Minor Scale, box 3

e|-------------------------------------2-4-5-|
B|-----------------------------1-2-4-5-------|
G|---------------------1-2-5-6---------------|
D|-------------1-2-4-6-----------------------|
A|-------3-4-6-------------------------------|
E|-2-4-5-------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 3–8

C# Harmonic Minor Scale, box 4

e|---------------------------------4-5-8-|
B|---------------------------4-5-7-------|
G|---------------------5-6-8-------------|
D|---------------4-6-7-------------------|
A|-------3-4-6-7-------------------------|
E|-4-5-8---------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 5–10

C# Harmonic Minor Scale, box 5

e|----------------------------------------------------5--8--9--|
B|----------------------------------------5--7--9--10----------|
G|----------------------------5--6--8--9-----------------------|
D|-------------------6--7--10----------------------------------|
A|----------6--7--9--------------------------------------------|
E|-5--8--9-----------------------------------------------------|

C♯ minor backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Slow Blues Rock Ballad Jam | Guitar Backing Track in C# Minor – Now YOU Shred Backing Tracks

Songs in C♯ minor

These songs are in C♯ minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

Counting Stars – OneRepublic
Jolene – Dolly Parton
Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran
Skinny Love – Birdy
Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
California Dreamin – The Mamas & The Papas
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room – John Mayer
The Cave – Mumford & Sons
This Is The Life – Amy Macdonald
Mean – Taylor Swift
Isnt She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
Those Eyes – New West

All songs in C♯ minor →

Other scales in C♯

Harmonic Minor Scale in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.