Harmonic Minor Guitar Scales Lesson
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Harmonic Minor Guitar Scales

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Harmonic Minor Scale Lesson

The "harmonic minor scale" is one of the most recognizable of guitar scales in sound, offering a "dissonant" and "far eastern" sound. It differs from the Natural Minor scale by it's raised 7th interval. (See comparison's below). A minor scale * Natural or Pure A B C D E F G A e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D :-----------------|-5--7------------|-----------------| A :---------5--7--8-|-----------------|-----------------| E :-5--7--8---------|-----------------|-----------------| A Harmonic Minor Scale A B C D E F G# A e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D :-----------------|-6--7------------|-----------------| A :---------5--7--8-|-----------------|-----------------| E :-5--7--8---------|-----------------|-----------------| Below shows the two octave pattern The tonic note is A followed by octave 1=01 and octave 2=02 A 01 02 e :-----------------|-----------------|-------4--5------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-5--6------------| G :-----------------|-------4--5--7---|-----------------| D :-----------------|-6--7------------|-----------------| A :---------5--7--8-|-----------------|-----------------| E :-5--7--8---------|-----------------|-----------------| This next example demonstrates who to play a guitar riff using this scales, demonstrating as most riff's is derived and created from the bass notes in the scale. e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A :--------7-7-7----|-8-8-8---5-5-5---|--7-7-7----------| E :-5-5-5-----------|-----------------|---------8-8-8---| e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A :-5-5-5-----------|-----------------|-----------------| E :--------7-7-7----|-----------------|----------------- Good practice techniques include playing this scale in "ascending 3rd's" as shown below. When played using alternate picking (down,up,down,up, etc..) when adding a touch of distortion, these scales exercise's also produce some of the heaviest of metal thats has been known and used by such great guitarist as Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and others. Example e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|-----------------|---4---5--4--7---| D :-----------------|----------6---7--|-6---7-----------| A :---------5---7---|-5--8--7----8----|-----------------| E :-5--8--7---8-----|-----------------|-----------------| s e :--------------4--|----5-4--5--17---|-----------------| B :----5----6--5----|-6---------------|-----------------| G :-5-----7---------|-----------------|-----------------| D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| Another good guitar scale practice for this scale is to use alternate picking while playing "descedning if four's" playing four descending notes back to back as shown below. e :-5--4------------|-4---------------|-----------------| B :------6--5-------|---6--5----------|-6--5------------| G :-----------------|---------7-------|------7--5-------| D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-5---------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :---7--5--4-------|-7--5--4---------|-5--4------------| D :-----------------|---------7-------|--------7--6-----| A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| To begin creating and imporvising lead guitar solo's using the harmonic minor scale, try adding "guitar techniques" like hammer-on, pull-off, slide and vibrato as shown below. p p s h p h p p p p e :-8-7-5-4--5-4-5-4|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-6-5-------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|------7-5--4-5-4-|-----------------| D :-----------------|-----------------|-7-6-------------| A :-----------------|-----------------|------8-7-5------| E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| p p v e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E :-8-7-5-4---------|-----------------|-----------------|
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