B Harmonic Minor Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The B harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A♯. The harmonic minor is the natural minor with its 7th raised a half step. The gap of three frets between the ♭6 and the 7 gives it its exotic, classical sound, and the raised 7th makes the V chord major, so it pulls strongly back home.

Compared with the B major scale it has ♭3 (D instead of D♯), ♭6 (G instead of G♯).

The explorer above is set to B harmonic minor: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

B harmonic minor scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from B	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	B	R	0	S
2	C♯	M2	2	R
♭3	D	m3	3	g
4	E	P4	5	M
5	F♯	P5	7	P
♭6	G	m6	8	d
7	A♯	M7	11	N

Steps between the notes: W H W W H W+H H (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any B and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

B harmonic minor scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, B harmonic minor has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on B on the low E string at fret 7; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 7–12	9 10 12	8 11 12	7 9 11	8 9 11	7 9 10	7 9 10
Position 2 frets 9–14	10 12 14	11 12 14	9 11 12	9 11 12	9 10 13	9 10 12
Position 3 frets 10–15	12 14 15	12 14 15	11 12 15	11 12 14	10 13 14	10 12 14
Position 4 frets 12–18	14 15 18	14 15 17	12 15 16	12 14 16	13 14 16	12 14 15
Position 5 frets 14–19	15 18 19	15 17 19	15 16 18	14 16 17	14 16 17	14 15 18
Position 6 frets 15–21	18 19 21	17 19 20	16 18 19	16 17 20	16 17 19	15 18 19
Position 7 frets 5–11	7 9 10	7 8 11	6 7 9	5 8 9	5 7 9	6 7 9

Chords in the B harmonic minor scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in B harmonic minor is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	i	ii°	♭III+	iv	V	♭VI	vii°
Triad	Bm	C♯dim	Daug	Em	F♯	G	A♯dim
7th chord	BmMaj7	C♯m7♭5	Dmaj7♯5	Em7	F♯7	Gmaj7	A♯dim7

Where you hear it

B harmonic minor is used in neo-classical metal, flamenco, Middle Eastern and Indian film music, and classical. It sounds best over minor chords and the major V or V7 chord of a minor key.

Backing tracks to practise B harmonic minor

B minor blues B minor rock B minor funk Bm metal Bm Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 7–12) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every B (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on B.