D 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 D harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C♯. 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 D major scale it has ♭3 (F instead of F♯), ♭6 (B♭ instead of B).

The explorer above is set to D 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.

D harmonic minor scale notes

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

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

D harmonic minor scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, D harmonic minor has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on D on the low E string at fret 10; 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 10–15	12 13 15	11 14 15	10 12 14	11 12 14	10 12 13	10 12 13
Position 2 frets 12–17	13 15 17	14 15 17	12 14 15	12 14 15	12 13 16	12 13 15
Position 3 frets 13–18	15 17 18	15 17 18	14 15 18	14 15 17	13 16 17	13 15 17
Position 4 frets 15–21	17 18 21	17 18 20	15 18 19	15 17 19	16 17 19	15 17 18
Position 5 frets 17–22	18 21 22	18 20 22	18 19 21	17 19 20	17 19 20	17 18 21
Position 6 frets 6–12	9 10 12	8 10 11	7 9 10	7 8 11	7 8 10	6 9 10
Position 7 frets 8–14	10 12 13	10 11 14	9 10 12	8 11 12	8 10 12	9 10 12

Chords in the D harmonic minor scale

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

	i	ii°	♭III+	iv	V	♭VI	vii°
Triad	Dm	Edim	Faug	Gm	A	B♭	C♯dim
7th chord	DmMaj7	Em7♭5	Fmaj7♯5	Gm7	A7	B♭maj7	C♯dim7

Where you hear it

D 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 D harmonic minor

D minor blues D minor rock D minor funk Dm metal Dm Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 10–15) 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 D (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on D.