Harmonic minor
The minor scale with a raised seventh degree, which creates a leading tone and an exotic augmented-second interval.
Raising the seventh in a minor key gives the scale the strong pull to the tonic that a natural minor lacks, and it is what makes a minor key cadence sound convincing. The side effect is an unusually wide gap between the flattened sixth and the raised seventh, which gives the scale its Middle Eastern and neo-classical flavour and makes it a favourite for dramatic lead playing. On guitar it is most often used as a shape for improvisation over minor-key progressions.
Example: A harmonic minor contains A, B, C, D, E, F and G sharp, the raised seventh being the note that pulls back to A.
See also
Related
- PageNatural minor scale
- PageMelodic minor
- PageInterval
- PageAugmented chord
- PageBlue note
- PageBlues scale
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley