G Harmonic Minor Scale
G harmonic minor runs G, A, B flat, C, D, E flat, F sharp and back to G. The first six different notes match G natural minor. Raise only the seventh, F to F sharp, and the last step becomes a half step into G.
- Notes: G-A-B flat-C-D-E flat-F sharp
- Raised seventh: F sharp
- Key signature: two flats
What is the harmonic-minor difference?
G natural minor is G-A-B flat-C-D-E flat-F-G. G harmonic minor keeps everything except F, which becomes F sharp. The raised note sits immediately below G. The distance from E flat to F sharp is three semitones, called an augmented second in written theory.
Play D-E flat-F sharp-G as a short melody. Then replace F sharp with F natural and hear what changed. That is a more useful test than trying to remember a descriptive label for the whole scale.
What does F sharp do to the chords?
On the fifth note, natural G minor gives D-F-A, or D minor. With F sharp, the chord becomes D-F sharp-A, or D major. Add C and you get D7.
Try Dm-Gm, then D7-Gm. In the second pair, F sharp can move up by a half step to G. C in D7 can move down to B flat in Gm. You can follow those two note movements one at a time while the chords play.
Why are there still two flats in the signature?
G minor's key signature is B flat and E flat. F sharp is a raised seventh written as an accidental where the music uses it. The signature does not change into one with a sharp. In actual minor-key music, F natural and F sharp can both appear in different phrases.
Use it in a small phrase
Play G-B flat-D-E flat-F sharp-G, then D-F sharp-A as a chord followed by G-B flat-D. The melodic line reveals the stretched E-flat-to-F-sharp step; the chord pair shows why that raised note is useful in a return to G minor. Harmonic Minor generalizes the same change from any root.