Guitar scales › Harmonic Minor Scale
F 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 F: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.
Notes in the F harmonic minor scale
- F1
- G2
- A♭b3
- B♭4
- C5
- D♭b6
- E7
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in F minor, and over F blues and rock progressions.
F 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 1–5
e|-------------------------------1-3-4-| B|-------------------------1-2-5-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-------------| D|-------------2-3-5-------------------| A|-------1-3-4-------------------------| E|-1-3-4-------------------------------|
Box 2 · frets 2–7
e|---------------------------------3-4-6-| B|---------------------------2-5-6-------| G|---------------------3-5-6-------------| D|-------------2-3-5-6-------------------| A|-------3-4-7---------------------------| E|-3-4-6---------------------------------|
Box 3 · frets 4–10
e|-------------------------------------------------------------4--6--8--9--| B|-------------------------------------------------5--6--8--9--------------| G|-------------------------------------5--6--9--10-------------------------| D|-------------------------5--6--8--10-------------------------------------| A|-------------4--7--8--10-------------------------------------------------| E|-4--6--8--9--------------------------------------------------------------|
Box 4 · frets 7–12
e|-------------------------------------------------8--9--12-| B|----------------------------------------8--9--11----------| G|-------------------------------9--10-12-------------------| D|----------------------8--10-11----------------------------| A|----------7--8--10-11-------------------------------------| E|-8--9--12-------------------------------------------------|
Box 5 · frets 9–14
e|----------------------------------------------------9--12-13-| B|----------------------------------------9--11-13-14----------| G|----------------------------9--10-12-13----------------------| D|-------------------10-11-14----------------------------------| A|----------10-11-13-------------------------------------------| E|-9--12-13----------------------------------------------------|
F minor backing track
Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.
Slow Blues Guitar Backing Track F Minor – erto sound
Songs in F minor
These songs are in F minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:
- All Of Me – John Legend
- Boulevard Of Broken Dreams – Green Day
- Frozen - Let It Go – Misc Cartoons
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
- Clocks – Coldplay
- Hello – Adele
- Aashiqui 2 - Tum Hi Ho – Misc Soundtrack
- Lemon Tree – Fool's Garden
- Closer – The Chainsmokers
- Glimpse Of Us – Joji
- Something In The Way – Nirvana
- Misery Business – Paramore
Other scales in F
- F Minor Pentatonic Scale
- F Major Pentatonic Scale
- F Blues Scale
- F Major Blues Scale
- F Major Scale
- F Natural Minor Scale
- F Dorian Mode
- F Mixolydian Mode
- F Phrygian Mode
- F Lydian Mode
- F 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
- 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 F harmonic minor scale?
F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, E. The formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7.
Where do I start playing the F harmonic minor scale on guitar?
Start with Box 1, frets 1–5. The root note F is on the low E string at fret 1.