F♯ harmonic minor scale on guitar
The F♯ harmonic minor scale has seven notes: F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D and E♯ (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7). Natural minor with a raised 7th, which leads back up to the root and makes the V chord major. The neo-classical shred sound; the jump from ♭6 to 7 is three frets wide.
| Note | F♯ | G♯ | A | B | C♯ | D | E♯ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | 7 |
| Step to the next | whole | half | whole | whole | half | 1½ | half |
5 positions to learn it in
On guitar a seven-note scale is learnt in five shapes, each built round one of the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Together they cover the neck. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the F♯ harmonic minor scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; F♯ (F♯m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (F♯) | F♯mhome | – |
| 2 (G♯) | G♯dimthe edge | G♯m7♭5the edge |
| ♭3 (A) | Aaugdaylight | – |
| 4 (B) | Bmsoft fall | Bm7soft fall |
| 5 (C♯) | C♯the pull | C♯7the pull |
| ♭6 (D) | Dcinematic | Dmaj7cinematic |
| 7 (E♯) | E♯dimthe edge | – |
Scales with the same notes
Compare the F♯ minor scale, its natural minor.
Questions
What notes are in the F♯ harmonic minor scale?
F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D and E♯. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7, and the steps between its notes are W H W W H W+H H (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the F♯ harmonic minor scale?
The chords made only of its notes: F♯m, G♯dim, Aaug, Bm, C♯, D and E♯dim, and as seventh chords G♯m7♭5, Bm7, C♯7 and Dmaj7. F♯ is home: F♯m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The harmonic minor scale in every key
Other scales in F♯
F♯ majorF♯ minorF♯ minor pentatonicF♯ major pentatonicF♯ bluesF♯ DorianF♯ MixolydianF♯ LydianF♯ PhrygianF♯ melodic minorF♯ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.