Harmonic Minor Modes

The Harmonic Minor scale is an important tool in the palette of any improvisor, arranger or composer, though it is often shied away from because of it’s exotic sound and slightly awkward fingerings on the guitar.

Though the Harmonic Minor scale may seem like it’s hard to learn and get into your ears, it may be surprising to know that each mode of the Harmonic Minor scale is only one note different than its corresponding mode in the Major Scale. Because of this, we can take any mode in the Major Scale that we already know, raise one note depending on which mode it is, and voila, instant Harmonic Minor Mode. This approach is described in detail in the individual mode pages listed below.

Click on any mode below to learn more about how each one is built and see fingerings for 1 and 2 octave patterns with three finger variations for each one.

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