Harmonic Minor Scale: Interactive Piano Reference with Chords

🎹 A visual piano reference to the harmonic minor scale, a variation of the natural minor scale where the 7th degree of the scale is raised by a half step. As its name implies, this scale is ideal for chords and harmonies. It has a rather exotic sounding nature, from the fact that there's a gap between the 6th and 7th scale degrees.

Harmonic Minor Scale: Reference Table

First, a reference table for the harmonic minor scale for all the keys. The keys are in order of 5ths, as with the circle of fifths. This illustrates the close relationship between keys that are a 5th distance apart.

i	ii°	III	iv	v	VI	VII	i
A	B	C	D	E	F	G♯	A
E	F♯	G	A	B	C	D♯	E
B	C♯	D	E	F♯	G	A♯	B
F♯	G♯	A	B	C♯	D	E♯	F♯
C♯	D♯	E	F♯	G♯	A	B♯	C♯
G♯	A♯	B	C♯	D♯	E	F♯♯	G♯
D♯	E♯	F♯	G♯	A♯	B	C♯♯	D♯
B♭	C	D♭	E♭	F	G♭	A	B♭
F	G	A♭	B♭	C	D♭	E	F
C	D	E♭	F	G	A♭	B	C
G	A	B♭	C	D	E♭	F♯	G
D	E	F	G	A	B♭	C♯	D

And now for each of the harmonic minor scales in more detail with piano keyboard reference.

C Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: C D E_♭ F G A_♭ B

C
D
E_♭
F
G
A_♭
B
C

D Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: D E F G A B_♭ C^♯

D
E
F
G
A
B_♭
C^♯
D

E Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: E F^♯ G A B C D^♯

E
F^♯
G
A
B
C
D^♯
E

F Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: F G A_♭ B_♭ C D_♭ E

F
G
A_♭
B_♭
C
D_♭
E
F

G Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: G A B_♭ C D E_♭ F♯

G
A
B_♭
C
D
E_♭
F^♯
G

A Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: A B C D E F G♯

A
B
C
D
E
F
G^♯
A

B Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: B C^♯ D E F^♯ G A^♯

B
C^♯
D
E
F^♯
G
A^♯
B

C♯ Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: C^♯ D^♯ E F^♯ G^♯ A B^♯

C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯
G^♯
A
B^♯
C^♯

D♯ Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: D^♯ E^♯ F^♯ G^♯ A^♯ B C^♯^♯

D^♯
E^♯
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
B
C^♯^♯
D^♯

F♯ Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: F^♯ G^♯ A B C^♯ D E^♯

F^♯
G^♯
A
B
C^♯
D
E^♯
F^♯

G♯ Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: G^♯ A^♯ B C^♯ D^♯ E F^♯^♯

G^♯
A^♯
B
C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯^♯
G^♯

A♯ Harmonic Minor Scale

notes: A^♯ B^♯ C^♯ D^♯ E^♯ F^♯ G^♯♯

A^♯
B^♯
C^♯
D^♯
E^♯
F^♯
G^♯^♯
A^♯

Piano Samples

The piano samples used for this harmonic minor scale reference are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

C D E F G A B C^♯ D^♯ F^♯ G^♯ A^♯