Feb 19, 2012 another flavour of minor scale is the harmonic minor scale. The only difference is the 7 th note which is raised by a half tone. By raising the seventh note of the natural minor to a major seventh interval, this scale resolves to the tonic with more movement. The right hand starts on the d next to middle c and goes up one octave. Eventually, you should be able to play each scale with both hands, ascending and descending, four octaves. Natural minor scale a scale that contains halfsteps between 23 and 56 scale degrees the natural form. To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the natural minor scale by a halfstep as you go up and down the scale. The natural minor scale is often referred to simply as the minor scale. Learn how to play the c minor harmonic piano scale piano. Thats 5 more than both the major and melodic minor. How to play the c harmonic minor scale on the piano. The primary or i iv v chords are a minor, d minor and e major. For example, gab c can be the bottom tetrachord of the g major scale or the top tetrachord of the c major scale. The harmonic minor scale is an essential guitar scale to learn and apply to your solos.
Heres a diagram of the harmonic c minor scale on piano. The scales here are not arranged by order of difficulty, but rather in a chronological order. For the melodic minor scale, you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step as you go up the scale and then return to the natural minor as you go down the scale. The harmonic minor scale is one of the most difficult scales to play because of the large interval between the flat 6th and raised 7th degrees and interval of an augmented second, same as a minor third. The harmonic minor scale works great over minor iivs. A collection of scales for piano starting on the root c.
The main scales of western music are major and minor scales. However, this leaves a minor third interval between the sixth and seventh note. In classical music, you play the true melodic minor scale ascending and the natural minor scale descending. In jazz, the modes of the melodic minor scale are very widely used. Let me illustrate this again with the c minor scale. It will be very useful to know about when later we try and add harmony to pieces using a minor scale. The other two are the natural minor and the melodic minor. Nov 29, 2017 harmonic minor the c harmonic minor scale. Scales you can use in the real world, created by a human guitarist. A harmonic minor piano scales piano scales chart 8notes. For those who want to learn or revise all the harmonic minor scales, all scale diagrams and videos are complied here.
Bellingham music teachers association scale and arpeggio fingering chart for piano major and minor scales and arpeggios two octaves chromatic scale. The harmonic minor scale is the same as the natural minor but with the seventh note raised by a semitone. Natural, harmonic and melodic forms about minor scales. Jun 14, 2017 the harmonic minor scale works great over minor iivs. The 12 minor scales, however, come in 3 variations the harmonic minor scale uses the same keys as the parallel major scale same starting note, but major, but lowers the 3rd and the 6th the melodic minor scale uses the same keys as the parallel major scale, but lowers the 3rd when ascending going up and lowers. This includes many scales and modes such as dorian mode and the phrygian mode in simple terms, a minor scale is a series of notes with a sad, somber character exaggerated when heard backto. The harmonic minor scale yields 12 tertian seventh chords.
But in jazz, we play the true melodic minor scale both up and down, and call it the jazz melodic minor scale. C melodic minor scale and fingering chart 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 4 5 5 name c o m i n g d o w n g o i n g u p 1 5 1 5 2 4. May 31, 2018 lets now look at the tertian seventh chords of the c harmonic minor scale. The solution below shows the c harmonic minor scale notes, intervals and scale degrees on the piano, treble clef and bass clef the lesson steps then explain how to identify the c harmonic minor scale note interval positions, choose the note names and scale degree names for a quick summary to this topic, have a look at harmonic minor scale. The harmonic minor scale is one of three minor scales. Melodic minor modes and altered scale the jazz piano site. Learn how to play the minor harmonic scale in the key of c in this piano lesson with nate bosch. Notes, intervals and relations to other scales in the database. The right hand uses the second finger to hit the c sharp. Reinforce minor harmonic scales concept with this valentinethemed 1 page printable.
The harmonic minor differs from the natural minor by the sharpened seventh note, and this minor scale is consequently not played in the same. The includes the notes c sharp, d sharp, e, f sharp, g sharp, a, c, and back to c sharp. The harmonic minor scale is almost equal to the natural minor scale. This scale can sometimes confuse people because it is in a way identical to the major scale. As we have already learned, a mode is a scale created by establishing a new root note within a preexisting scale. Middle c midi note 60 is shown with an orange line under the 2nd note on the piano diagram. Today im going to teach you the c sharp minor harmonic scale.
Now lets take a look at the fingering of the scale. Near the bottom of the page i also provide a pdf download of all harmonic minor keys in standard tuning. Harmonic minor scale the harmonic minor scale raises the 7th note of the natural minor scale by a half step and has the following scale formula. Continue up the scale and finish up with your pinky on the c octave. G major e minor pentatonic scale guitar scales the pentatonic scale is a favorite of many guitarists and its easy to see why. Make sure that you follow the fingering as written above each note.
We call scales relative if they share the same key signature. Printable piano music scales in all major and harmonic minor keys. The c minor harmonic consists of the notes c, d, e flat, f, g, a, flat, b, and c. Another flavour of minor scale is the harmonic minor scale. Here are some examples of minor iivi lines using the harmonic minor scale. They can help you build your dexterity, learn new segments of sheet music faster and improve your coordination. C harmonic minor piano scales piano scales chart 8notes. The primary chords in a minor key are based on notes 1, 4 and 5 of the minor scale. Every scale determines a key,that is an harmonic combunation of tones based on that scale. Major and minor primary chords on piano in all keys i iv v. Free pdf downloads of c major, c harmonic minor, and more. To use it, simply play the harmonic minor scale built off of the root of the tonic or root of the i chord so for a minor iivi in c minor, play a c harmonic minor scale. Charts for c harmonic minor on guitar and piano all scales not normal were excluded from the results, please use the options below to see c harmonic minor again with all the other scales compared to it.
Major and minor primary chords on piano in all keys i iv. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Notice that the seventh note is raised in the harmonic minor scale. The sound of the harmonic scale is somewhat characterized by the music of the middle east.
Chords of the harmonic minor scale arthur fox music. Minor scale simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. C sharp minor harmonic scale on piano piano scale lessons. This pattern of whole and half steps is what creates the sound of major. Natural, harmonic, and melodic forms margaret denton, piano minor scales. All the scales here are in one octave, but you can of course practice each piano scale in as many octaves and in any tempo you like. When your third finger gets to the e flat, cross your thumb under to hit the f.
Big list of common triads and four note chords of the scale c harmonic minor. Remember, your thumbs are 1 and you number out from there to your pinky fingers which are 5. Chord i is a minor chord, chord 4 is a minor chord and chord 5 is a major chord. Learning the harmonic minor scale simplifying theory. These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef. Minor scales natural vs harmonic vs melodic piano theory. The first mode of the melodic minor scale isthe melodic minor scale. Eventually, you should be able to play each scale with both. Download our free pdf versions of each scale with fingering. For your right hand, you start playing the c minor harmonic scale with your thumb on the c. This scale is a favorite among shredders like yngwie malmsteen, steve vai, joe satriani, and marty friedman.
The context that harmonic minor scale mostly appears in solos, riffs or arrangements is when a chord v7 solves in a minor chord. Scale harmonic minor 1,2,b3,4,5,b6,7 fullth pattern root note c guitar tuning. The harmonic minor scale raises the 7th note of the natural minor scale by a half step and has the following scale formula. How to use the harmonic minor scale over a minor 251.
Each minor scale has a different use and application in jazz piano and so learning how to construct and apply each one is a vital skill. The harmonic minor scale is another variation of the natural minor scale. In this lesson youll learn the theory behind the harmonic minor scale, where to apply it, four licks and an harmonic minor solo over the jazz standard summertime. In the major field, v7 solves itself in a major chord, as we already. Use the scale chart generator below to help you learn the harmonic minor scales in any key and just about any kind of guitar tuning. If the white notes are played starting from the sixth step of that c scale, from any a to the next a, then an a natural minor scale the relative minor of c is produced. By tertian, we mean they are chords built by stacking only minor and major thirds more on tertian harmony here. C sharp minor harmonic scale on piano piano lessons. Minor scales harmonic minor and melodic minor scales. We are already familiar with the modes of the major scale, but we can create modes from any preexisting scale. Minor scales are built on the 6th scale degree of a major scale. Detailed information for the scale c harmonic minor. If you would like to learn scales according to the order of difficulty, please refer to the graded syllabus.