Part III: Harmonic Minor and Jazz Scales

Harmonic Minor

The harmonic minor scale is a natural minor with a raised (major) seventh step. This creates an exotic-sounding three-fret interval flanked by half steps. It may also be used create a strong minor resolution, and is common in the neo-classical style. The notes, tones, and intervallic structure are shown below on E.

E harmonic minor, patterns 1 – 5

The harmonic minor scale can be played in five different “positional” patterns on the neck. The easiest way to learn them is to take natural minor and raise each 7th step one fret (so it is found a half step below each root). Of course, this approach assumes you already know the natural minor. If not, review the patterns on page 26. The major 7ths are shown in grey.

Fingering: Pattern 1 is in open (first) position. Pattern 2 is in second position (stretch fourth finger up on string 5). Pattern 3 is in fifth and fourth positions. Pattern 4 starts in sixth position and shifts up to seventh position on string 5. Pattern 5 is in ninth position (tenth for strings 1 and 2).

Here is the entire neck for E harmonic minor. Because of how the patterns connect together, the B note appears doubled in lower pattern 1. Follow the directions in parenthesis to avoid playing this note twice. The higher pattern 1 begins at the eleventh fret, and so avoids this situation.

• Pause the scale from time to time and play the Em anchor chords to hear E as the root.

Other tonalities

Below are full neck patterns for A and C harmonic minor, along with the anchor chords. Play the patterns for each tonality. Then shift into other keys.

For other keys, simply slide the nearest pattern up or down the neck. (See page 63 for note names on the neck, if necessary.)

E harmonic minor, three notes per string

For faster scale runs, three-note-per-string scale patterns are useful. There are seven different three-note-per-string patterns—one beginning on each tone of the scale. (Pattern 1 is also shown at the octave position, below.)

• Consistent alternate picking is recommended, beginning with a downstroke. For example, when playing any of these patterns, string 6 will always be ‘down-up-down’ followed by ‘up-down-up’ on string 5. Repeat this approach on strings 4 and 3, then again on strings 2 and 1.

Fingering: Allow your position to change fluidly through each pattern. For example, pattern 2 begins in second position, changes to fourth position (string 2), and stretches back a fret on string 1. When spanning five frets with whole steps (as in pattern 3, string 6), use fingering 1–2–4. When spanning five frets with a minor third and half step (as in pattern 3, string 5), use fingering 1–3–4.

Other tonalities, three notes per string

Below are the three-note-per-string patterns for A and C harmonic minor. In each case, pattern 1 begins on the root on the sixth string, and the sequence of the patterns remains the same as on the previous page.

For other keys, simply slide the patterns up or down the neck. (See page 63 for note names on the neck.)

Phrygian-Dominant

The Phrygian-dominant scale is a Phrygian mode with a raised (major) 3rd. This is also called the Spanish Phrygian, major Phrygian, or Spanish Flamenco scale. The notes, tones, and intervallic structure are shown below based on E.

E Phrygian-dominant, patterns 1 – 5

The Phrygian-dominant scale has five “positional” patterns on the neck. The easiest way to learn them is to take the Phrygian mode and raise all the minor 3rds one fret. Of course, this approach assumes you already know the Phrygian mode well. If not, go back and review page 38 first. The major 3rds are shown in grey, below.

Fingering: Pattern 1 is in open (first) position. Pattern 2 is in second position (third on strings 1 and 2). Pattern 3 is in fifth position (stretch back a fret and slide up on strings 1, 3, and 6). Pattern 4 is in seventh position. Pattern 5 is in tenth position (ninth on strings 3 and 4, slide back up to tenth on string 2).

The astute guitarist will recognize that these patterns are the same as A harmonic minor, but with different roots and anchor chords. This is because the Phrygian-dominant scale happens to be a mode of harmonic minor (the fifth mode, to be precise).

• Listen for the interesting mix of the bright major 3rds (in grey) against the other minor intervals. The anchor chords are E major.

Other tonalities

Below the Phrygian-dominant scale is shown in A with the appropriate anchor chords. Shift the patterns to play in other tonalities as well.

Three notes per string

Phrygian-dominant uses the same patterns and sequence as harmonic minor (page 48), but with different roots. The shape shown on page 48 as “pattern 5” becomes pattern 1 here. Shift it to begin on the sixth string root. In this case, to play G Phrygian-dominant, we’ll start on G at the third fret.

continue with page 48 patterns 1, 2, 3, and 4 as 4, 5, 6, and 7 (up eight frets)…

Jazz Melodic Minor

The jazz melodic minor scale is a natural minor with raised (major) 6th and 7th steps. This makes it the brightest-sounding minor scale—in fact, the top half of the scale is identical to the major scale. The notes, tones, and intervallic structure are shown below based on E.

E jazz melodic minor, patterns 1 – 5

The jazz melodic minor scale (sometimes called simply “jazz minor”) has five positional patterns on the neck. The easiest way to learn them is to take the major scale and drop all the 3rds one fret. Of course, this approach assumes you already know the major scale well. If not, it is recommended that you review page 30 first. The minor 3rds are shown in grey.

Fingering: Pattern 1 is in open (first) position. Pattern 2 is in second position (use 1–2–4 on string 5). Pattern 3 is in fourth position (slide up into fifth on strings 1 and 2). Pattern 4 is in seventh position (stretch back a fret on strings 3 and 5). Pattern 5 is in ninth position (fingering 1–2–4 on string 4).

Here is the full neck for E jazz minor. Omit the B note of string 3 in the lower bracketed pattern 1. The higher pattern 1 avoids this situation by including fret 11.

Other tonalities

Here is the A jazz minor scale along with the Am anchor chords. Shift into other keys, as well.

Three notes per string

Below, the jazz minor scale is shown in three-note-per-string patterns in G. Shift into other keys, as well.

Modes of Jazz Minor

The jazz melodic minor scale may be displaced to create a series of modes. These are used almost exclusively in advanced jazz styles, and are relatively complex. That said, most guitarists will never have need to master these. Nevertheless, for the curious and the jazz-minded we will outline them here.

These modes are viewed as alterations of the major-scale modes, so the original modal names are employed along with descriptive tonal labels which identify the particular variation. Make sure you know all the major-scale modes very well before tackling these!

Each mode below is shown in its pattern 1, with its root on the sixth string.

Jazz melodic minor

This is the parent scale (and first mode). It doesn’t have a special modal name—we just call it the jazz melodic minor scale. This example starts with A jazz melodic minor, which you already learned on the previous page, but here it is again (pattern 1). The notes are A–B–C–D–E–F♯–G♯, so the following modes will each begin on one of these notes.

Dorian ♭2

Dorian ♭2 is the second mode of the jazz minor scale. As the name implies, this is simply a Dorian mode with a flatted (minor) 2nd tone. Below, the ♭2s are shown in grey.

Lydian augmented

Lydian augmented is the third mode of the jazz minor scale. This is a Lydian mode with a raised (augmented) 5th. Below, the ♯5s are shown in grey.

Lydian ♭7

Lydian ♭7 is the fourth mode of the jazz minor scale. This is a Lydian mode with a flat (minor) 7th. This structure is also known as the overtone scale. Below, the ♭7s are shown in grey.

Mixolydian ♭13

Mixolydian ♭13 is the fifth mode of the jazz minor scale. This is a Mixolydian mode with a flat (minor) 6th. (The ♭6th is known as a ♭13th because extended jazz chords use this note generally in a higher octave. This name, then, has been retained even though the note in question does in fact appear in every octave of the scale.) This structure is also known as the Hindu scale. Below, the ♭6s/♭13s are shown in grey.

Locrian ♯2

Locrian ♯2 is the sixth mode of the jazz minor scale. This is a Locrian mode with a raised 2nd. Since Locrian, however, starts out with a flat (minor) 2nd, raising it simply brings it back up to a “normal” major 2nd. Below, the 2nds are shown in grey.

Super Locrian (altered)

The super Locrian mode is the seventh mode of the jazz minor scale. It is also known as the “altered scale.” It consists of a Locrian mode with a flat 4th. In this case, every tone other than the root is flatted! Below, the 4ths are shown in grey.

Remember: As with the previous modes (page 34), all the modes here share the same notes. Delete the root information and all the patterns fit A jazz minor as well as B Dorian ♭2, C Lydian augmented, etc. To play in other keys, shift the patterns up or down the neck as appropriate.