C Harmonic Minor Scale

What is the C Harmonic Minor Scale?

The harmonic minor scale takes the natural minor and raises the 7th degree by a half step, creating a leading tone that pulls strongly back to the root. That raised 7th also produces an augmented 2nd interval between the 6th and 7th degrees — the dramatic, almost "neoclassical" sound you hear in Yngwie Malmsteen and Baroque music alike. Here's how the C Harmonic Minor Scale lays out on the fretboard.

Notes and Positions

Natural minor with raised 7th. Classical and neoclassical. On bass, the fretboard view helps you visualize where the important tones sit for building lines across positions. Use a finger-per-fret approach first, then add shifts only when the line needs a wider range. In the key of C, the notes are: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B.

How to Use It

You'll often hear it in Classical, Neoclassical Metal, and Middle Eastern. A good way to internalize the sound is to sing the root, then sing a few scale degrees before you play them.

Start with the root on beat 1, add the 5th on beat 3, then work the other scale tones in as passing notes. Use the interactive fretboard above to spot repeats of the same note on different strings and frets.