JamEaseGuitar scales › Harmonic Minor Scale
D 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 D: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.
Notes in the D harmonic minor scale
- D1
- E2
- Fb3
- G4
- A5
- B♭b6
- C♯7
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in D minor, and over D blues and rock progressions.
D harmonic minor scale on the whole neck
Know the scale?
Now solo with it.
A guitar soloing course: 81 short lessons, each one ends with you jamming over a real backing track.
- From 3 notes to your own solos
- Every note on the neck, with sound and TAB
- 379 backing tracks in every key
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 9–14
e|----------------------------------------------------9--10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------------10-11-14-------------| G|-------------------------------9--10-12-14----------------------| D|----------------------11-12-14----------------------------------| A|-------------10-12-13-------------------------------------------| E|-9--10-12-13----------------------------------------------------|
Box 2 · frets 11–16
e|-------------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|----------------------------------------11-14-15----------| G|-------------------------------12-14-15-------------------| D|-------------------11-12-14-15----------------------------| A|----------12-13-16----------------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------------|
Box 3 · frets 1–7
e|-----------------------------------------1-3-5-6-| B|---------------------------------2-3-5-6---------| G|-------------------------2-3-6-7-----------------| D|-----------------2-3-5-7-------------------------| A|---------1-4-5-7---------------------------------| E|-1-3-5-6-----------------------------------------|
Box 4 · frets 4–9
e|---------------------------------5-6-9-| B|---------------------------5-6-8-------| G|---------------------6-7-9-------------| D|---------------5-7-8-------------------| A|-------4-5-7-8-------------------------| E|-5-6-9---------------------------------|
Box 5 · frets 6–11
e|----------------------------------------------------6--9--10-| B|----------------------------------------6--8--10-11----------| G|----------------------------6--7--9--10----------------------| D|-------------------7--8--11----------------------------------| A|----------7--8--10-------------------------------------------| E|-6--9--10----------------------------------------------------|
D minor backing track
Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.
D Minor Slow Blues Ballad BACKING TRACK JAM - 80 bpm – Backing Tracks Studio
Songs in D minor
These songs are in D minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:
- The Scientist – Coldplay
- Grenade – Bruno Mars
- Somebody That I Used To Know – Gotye
- 21 Guns – Green Day
- Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons
- Too Good At Goodbyes – Sam Smith
- Back To Black – Amy Winehouse
- Set Fire To The Rain – Adele
- Complicated – Avril Lavigne
- Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
- Paradise – Coldplay
- Locked Out Of Heaven – Bruno Mars
Other scales in D
- D Minor Pentatonic Scale
- D Major Pentatonic Scale
- D Blues Scale
- D Major Blues Scale
- D Major Scale
- D Natural Minor Scale
- D Dorian Mode
- D Mixolydian Mode
- D Phrygian Mode
- D Lydian Mode
- D Melodic Minor Scale
Harmonic Minor Scale in other keys
- C Harmonic Minor Scale
- C♯ 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
- A 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 D harmonic minor scale?
D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C#. The formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7.
Where do I start playing the D harmonic minor scale on guitar?
Start with Box 1, frets 9–14. The root note D is on the low E string at fret 10.