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

The explorer above is set to F 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.

F harmonic minor scale notes

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

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

F harmonic minor scale positions on the guitar

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

Chords in the F harmonic minor scale

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

	i	ii°	♭III+	iv	V	♭VI	vii°
Triad	Fm	Gdim	A♭aug	B♭m	C	D♭	Edim
7th chord	FmMaj7	Gm7♭5	A♭maj7♯5	B♭m7	C7	D♭maj7	Edim7

Where you hear it

F 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 F harmonic minor

F minor blues F minor rock F minor funk

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 1–6) 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 F (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on F.