Harmonic Minor Scale for Guitar, All Modes
Hi. This is Hub Guitar.
We're going to talk about the harmonic minor, and the six modes that can be built from it.
We're going to play all patterns from C but it's also a great idea to play them all in the key of the same harmonic minor mode: for instance, you could playing F harmonic minor and then playing A Locrian natural 6. But in this case, we're going to play them all on the same fret on the VIII fret.
Here are the modes, beginning with Harmonic Minor pattern. Here is the C Locrian natural 6, the second mode. Here is the C Ionion sharp 5, the third mode. Here is the C Dorian sharp 4, the fourth mode. Here is the C Mixolydian flat 9 flat 13, sometimes also called the Phrygian dominant, the fifth mode. Here is the Lydian sharp 9, the sixth mode. Here is the C altered natural 6, the last mode.
So learn all of the patterns, and practice them as relative to each other, for instance F harmonic minor, A Locrian natural 6, going all the way up the neck. This will help you master the harmonic minor scales.
On this page, the 7 modes of the harmonic minor scale are presented as if they are all separate scales (beginning on C). However, they are derived from the modes of the Harmonic Minor, meaning the second mode of the C harmonic minor is D Locrian Nat. 6, and the third mode of the C harmonic minor is Ionian ♯5.
Harmonic Minor (First Mode)
Locrian Nat. 6 (Second Mode)
Ionian #5 (Third Mode)
Dorian #4 (Fourth Mode)
Mixolydian b9 b13 (Fifth Mode)
Lydian #9 (Sixth Mode)
Altered nat. 6 (Seventh Mode)
Key Tasks
- Memorize the seven patterns.
- Once you’ve learned the patterns, consider adapting the diatonic scale beat grouping exercise or the diatonic scale interval exercise to the harmonic minor scale.
- Be sure to understand which chord underlies each pattern. For instance, a minor maj7th chord underlies the Harmonic Minor scale harmony. You can find the chords associated with these scales by taking the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th of each scale and determining the chord.
As the creator of Hub Guitar, Grey has compiled hundreds of guitar lessons, written several books, and filmed hundreds of video lessons. He teaches private lessons in his Boston studio, as well as via video chat through TakeLessons.