A Harmonic Minor Scale
A harmonic minor uses A, B, C, D, E, F and G sharp. It is A natural minor with its seventh note raised from G to G sharp. That single change gives a melody a half-step approach to A and turns the fifth chord from E minor into E major.
- Notes: A-B-C-D-E-F-G sharp
- Changed note: G becomes G sharp
- Return to A: half step
What notes are in A harmonic minor?
A-B-C-D-E-F-G sharp-A. The first six different notes match A natural minor. The seventh is raised by one half step. Written as steps between neighboring scale notes, the pattern is whole, half, whole, whole, half, three half steps, half.
That large F-to-G-sharp gap is three semitones. In notation it is called an augmented second because F and G are adjacent letter names. You can hear it without memorizing the label: play E-F-G sharp-A slowly and the gap stands out.
What does G sharp change in a minor key?
First, G sharp lies a half step below A. Playing G sharp-A makes a closer approach to the tonic than G-A.
Second, compare the chords E-G-B and E-G sharp-B. The first is E minor; the second is E major. Add D to the second chord and you get E7, a common lead-in to Am. Play Em-Am, then E7-Am. The new note G sharp is the specific difference to listen for.
Music in A minor may use both G and G sharp in different moments. The Minor Scales overview places natural, harmonic and melodic minor side by side; a piece does not have to stay within one fixed list from beginning to end.
What is its key signature?
A minor's key signature has no sharps or flats. In a score using A harmonic minor, G sharp is usually marked beside the affected note as an accidental. The raised seventh is a local alteration, not a new standard key signature called "A harmonic minor."
Try a short phrase
Play A-C-E-F-G sharp-A, then repeat it with G natural. The notes on either side stay put. If you have a keyboard, finish both versions over an A-minor chord and notice how the penultimate note changes the approach to A.