The Harmonic Minor Scale

Hey everybody! Here's the next episode of Scales & Tales with The Harmonic Minor Scale. I've had a number of requests to include more material surrounding the ever-popular Harmonic Minor scale, and this familiar tonality and sound can be heard in plenty of metal music, along with classical, jazz, prog rock, and even pop. So if you'd like to dive deeper into understanding this useful, dark, and elusive sound heard in music - let's dive in!
This scale tackles this scale in a number of different ways - from exposing a handful of scale fingerings and ways of performing it, to harmonizing the scale to reveal the layout of chords using power chords, triads, and seventh chords, a finger-twisting scale sequence idea in two positions, and much more!
Needless to say, if you'd like to uncover more about this important and common scale, want to dive deeper in addition to the previous lessons I've created surrounding this scale, or maybe you just want to see what all the fuss is about - this lesson is totally for you! Give this episode a view, leave some comments/feedback, and please subscribe to Late Night Lessons - THANK YOU!
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[@mikeivey8471]

Yessir !! Here we go !!! More of these videos on scales & how to apply them !! Love these !!! Thanks Dave !!!

[@The_Macaroon]

I love how all this time later, The Brewster is still rocking the Behringer Amp. Take note cork sniffers 🤘

[@jayboy6895]

Dave. You gotta do your favourite T shirts episode!! Killer shirt

[@RedroomStudios]

super cool stuff! the harmonic minor was the first "exotic" scale I learned. fun playing around with what I refer to as a "middle eastern" sound...

[@mcmentalmusicmakers3219]

Thanks for your always clear and to the point tutelage. When I was young the good players would turn their back on us young we had to pick it up from our ears and glimpses seen, even the gear was magical secrets. Music teachers would teach the rock n roll scale, learned more from the violin

[@tallpaul1020]

What a great lesson and I love the scale workout!! Thx Dave. Keep up the great work. Metal Month Rules🤘

[@bestboy897]

harmonizing your scales is so important it puts things into proper context. another golden lesson.

[@Chewwy153qt]

All that talent and knowledge and so humble. Thank you David for sharing it.

[@MarkEdward-bl6cr]

Very fitting lesson for Metal Month 🔥👍🤘

[@petemorrisrocks4922]

Great work as always brother 🤘🏼❤️

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

Thank you, David 🤘🤘🤘 Very helpful to this GenX bass and guitar player... slowly things come together. Appreciate the lesson in harmonizing the scale Be good to you 🤘🤘🤘

[@jgabilanes4515]

I was actually practicing some harmonic minor licks when I saw this video get posted! Great stuff!

[@garyh.238]

Great lesson! I love the Harmonic Minor scale. Thanks for suggesting that sequence for practicing it.

[@timothyleard]

Love this scale 😊

[@voronOsphere]

Fantastic Lesson, David! So easy to understand in A Harmonic Minor! I love the 7th Chords Chart, but there's no "Sharp" symbol, after the capital G. Luckily, the chart and scale are so easy to keep track of (just one sharp G#), that it's still very helpful!

[@davetozier9235]

This is awesome! My brain is melted.

[@Emlizardo]

Alex Lifeson's solo in Rush's YYZ is in E harmonic minor. The backing chords are B major and C major, the chords built on the fifth and sixth degrees of the E harmonic minor scale. So I guess we could say he's playing in a mode of E harmonic minor.

[@FPSInsanity8511]

Phrygian dominant is another mode of harmonic minor

[@dominicgibson9529]

Excellent choice of T-Shirt, Dave✌

[@F-Phrygian]

Thanks Dave….as usual you bring it with mucho passion🔥one of / if not my favorite scales and modes💪🏻material🏆🏆🏆

[@fdre3wsd]

this was the 1st time I was able to wrap my head around all the chords, and I've been trying for years

[@NunoRomeo]

Thank you. Love the harmonic minor scale.

[@kwright3929]

Very good lesson. Logical and well explained. Great content creator ❤

[@MojoDudeX]

Imma gonna steal all the amzing shit you did in the opening! Seriously!!!

[@jasonmorris3533]

One thing i dig about slash is be uses this scale in a cool way

[@toddclarke1580]

Awesome Movie Shirt ! One of my fave movies !!

[@atteljas]

Salems lot!!!! Much appreciated!

[@therealandrecorbin4050]

I live at the corner of Phrygian dominant and arpeggio lane. Written a lot of harmonic minor material, I like expressing those deep feelings that scale provides. Cheers to all! Go practice everyone. Great video.

[@CaptainNoDoze]

Bravo !

[@brianstephenson984]

You're amazing dude! One of my favorite players!

[@Emlizardo]

I like to call the minor/major seventh the "cliffhanger chord." "Will our hero get out of this latest jam? Tune in next week!"

[@aquabot]

it reminds me of the last chord of the James Bond Theme.

[@LateNightLessons]

@@aquabot - That chord is very similiar, but that one is technically an Em(maj9). Such a cool chord! Be sure to check out my Chordplay episode "Big Chords" - the James Bond chord is hiding in there somewhere. ROCK ON! : )

[@xxxxx7876]

Awesome vid man. Hey, do you still have your dog or is the pic a nice tribute to him? Cool pic, funny! 🤘😎👍🤘

[@TMoody]

This is "trickier" then it looks. Get it, "Trick Or Treat".... huh huh? That album up there in the corner with the girl holding that Strat in the flames is a masterpiece btw.

[@chriseagan7337]

Love your shirt 6th grade movie night 💪

[@sotirios6882]

METAL MONTH CONTINUES.....🤘⚡️🤘☠️

[@lesliethomas2081]

Yes he should do a lot of these videos it give more indept how to apply the information for real understanding,?its indeed Brilliant

[@shannonjones3714]

Absolutely awesome lesson! Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@barrydonovan88]

Hi Dave. Hows about a Breaking Chords episode on Michael Lee Firkins or Shawn Lane? Great stuff as alway. God bless.

[@cabbage9398]

Great lesson David! If you ever get time or are stuck for lesson ideas, it would be cool to see a lesson on the fast legato-picking combination you use for your scale playing at 3:30. I notice you do it quite a lot. It sounds very fluid.

[@PawpawJamz]

Great lesson, Man🤘

[@hurtincrue9247]

Hey Dave! Have you ever checked out Chastain especially the album “for those who dare” classic shred from early 80’s with Leather Leon on vocals.. great album and he uses the Harmonic minor a lot

[@lawrencepopejoy192]

Chastain rules check out instrumental variations 🎸🎸🤘🤘

[@howiewyer4588]

You are so amazing brother... Thank you so much for sharing all these videos with us 🤘

[@nates2]

Petition for harmonic major next :)

[@ddguitars1969]

I wish i lived closer mate and I would book you for lessons! (I am in the north east of england btw). Love your channel. Very informative and useful.

[@danriley5848]

Great video as always, I have always loved using the harmonic minor when I can because I love the sound of it. Keep up the great work my friend. ✌🏻

[@1270mothman]

Great lesson as always. Gotta love the shirt.

[@tony69em]

Holy fuck...!!!! You are a great guitarist😊

[@waynegram8907]

LATE NIGHT, try to make a Ritchie Blackmore harmonic minor and double harmonic minor licks lessons. He used the double harmonic scale in live rainbow albums which they have about 6 different live concerts. In deep purple they would vamp over one or 2 chords jams while Blackmore would improvise using harmonic minor licks

[@thoth_amon]

i guess that b can be half or full diminished, since it has the flat 7 and double flat 7 in it for the 2 chord, when you did the f to the e, my brain heard wait by white lion lol

[@brutalieri]

Oh yes! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jeddak]

Great title thumbnail. Randy Rhoads's Rising Force? :D

[@billhinsperger8120]

Your Awsome buddy great lessons

[@arceneaux777]

PS: Great shirt

[@jayboy6895]

O Hell yes I gotta get me one of those shirts.

[@Jhossack11]

You’re the master!

[@brewberry1]

@ the 9 & 10:35 min. mark, shouldn't that be G# ? The raised 7. Love your vids and your passion for guitar!!

[@AndersMPettersson]

You can sneak an Fm into the A harmonic minor too.

[@voronOsphere]

That's right, just call the G# "Ab" for a moment! 100% in scale!

[@AndersMPettersson]

@@voronOsphere That is how Radioheads Creep goes from C to Cm.

[@ElDami]

Thanks mate

[@svincentr]

Is Ghost and Goblins theme harmonic minor too? I kinda remember it sounding just like that intro shred.🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧌🗡️🪦

[@RF944]

Got to break out your Telecaster and do some John 5 chords or licks.

[@Socializedbyantisocials]

But what is the formula for harmonizing or creating the chords and why some are diminished or augmented and what the means?

[@voronOsphere]

When you lay these particular chords over the scale, every one of each chord's notes is in the A Harmonic Minor Scale. In A Natural Minor, there is a C Major chord with the 3 notes: C E G When you play in A Harmonic Minor, you replace the normal G (found in the A Natural Minor scale) with G#. Now the G (a perfect fifth from the root C) in that C Major chord is out of key and you need to use G# (one half-step up in pitch from G Natural), instead. G# is an Augmented Fifth from the root C. The chord is now C Augmented: C E G#

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Here is something I do with almost every riff I learn and it's how to learn the chords in any key or mode (but you have to know the scale in all positions first). Take a chord or a riff, and move each note up (or down, not both) one note, but always in the same key or mode you started in. You've now learned how to play all seven diatonic chords in that key/mode, or with licks, you learn how to play them in all seven modes. This can be done in any exotic keys too. Remember, these shapes are all moveable and so they can be used for different keys/modes. It depends on the tonality dictated by the root note (the "tonic").

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@@voronOsphere : Very well described. That should help some readers for sure.

[@voronOsphere]

@@aylbdrmadison1051 Thanks! I hope so. Cool diatonic chord alteration method you described (by moving one chord note up or down to the next scale note)! I'd like to try that while improvising! And also while practicing (I'm a little weak on my shifting chord notes game).

[@BobEstremera]

Excellent presentation. Is this the same as the scale you would use when playing over the Andalucian cadence?

[@tony69em]

I've been playing ( learning ,) that scale. It keeps sounding sad and pretty. Maybe it's my lack of effects pedals? What I play sounds like sad classical music

[@jasonmorris3533]

That's actually pretty useful though.

[@CBolt17]

Such a sexy sounding scale

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

1:53 I feel like I should know, but who are the players in the bottom left and bottom right pics?

[@vorpalblades]

Bottom left - Chuck Schuldiner Bottom right - Jeff Loomis

[@paulwoodward6555]

That first seventh chord of the root is that the last chord in the old James Bond theme?

[@rizalomar4377]

dammm now i understand thnk u

[@melonhusk-kt5ys]

heheheh nice chops there my friend how about talking about the harmonic MAJOR scale?

[@patrickkish6662]

🕯️🎃🕯️

[@toneconsultant]

A bit too hard for me to get, but I appreciate it.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

If you haven't yet, just learn all seven positions (shapes) of C Major/A minor. It's only seven shapes total, and they can be moved around to create a total of 84 scales: all seven modes in all 12 keys. Once you know those seven shapes, the rest becomes so much easier, and exotic scales like this just one note in the scale changed (harmonic minor just has the seventh note of the normal minor scale, raised one fret higher. You got this!

[@assarhenden]

so the light of the seven song in game of thrones is just a harmonic minor?

[@adamthirdbourne324]

Come on! What effects made your sound like a cello? During scale break down

[@TwistedRiffster]

This reminds me of the 80s and that movie with Barbara Dare called tail for sale… I bashed the bishop so hard to that vhs over and over

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

So wrong.. 🤣😂🤣

[@TwistedRiffster]

Ahhhh indeed. Pass the kleenex please!

[@suzannecoholic1467]

I'm having so much with this it's scary. mwuhahahaha

[@MojoDudeX]

How many hours did you spend on the spider walk?

[@acousticguitar1]

The Devil's defeated!!!!!!!

[@icurt06]

I'm a new player. Why is it called a harmonic scale?

[@LateNightLessons]

That's just the name it was given. "Harmonic Minor" and there's also a "Harmonic Major" scale too.

[@yourpetard]

Please stay off the heefer brother

[@voronOsphere]

Huh?

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@@voronOsphere : I have no idea what OP's issue is, nor do I care. But "heefer" means _big nasty B._ It's just a childish way to put down women that weak minds misogynists resort to because they can't figure out anything intelligent to say.

[@Congobon1]

So one of 2 things is happening here. Either your recording system sucks, or your amp sounds like crap. It's to grungy. I'm not trying to be an ass I'm aiming for helping you get better. The clean stuff you play sounds good but the stuff right at the beginning sounds like some cheap amp played by someone who just started using an electric setup.