Harmonic Minor scale · 7 notes
B harmonic minor scale on guitar
The B harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A♯. Natural minor with a raised 7th: dramatic, neoclassical and a little exotic.
Notes
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
- A♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H
Sound
Dramatic, classical and slightly Middle Eastern
B harmonic minor on the whole fretboard
Every B harmonic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, B, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
B at fret 7. 6th position: frets 6–10.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of B harmonic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from B, the B harmonic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and A♯). Compared with B minor, it has A♯ (7) instead of A.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | root | 0 |
| 2 | C♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | D | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | E | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | G | minor 6th | 8 |
| 7 | A♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in B harmonic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to B harmonic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in B harmonic minor.
- iBmB · D · F♯Bm(maj7)
- ii°C♯°C♯ · E · GC♯m7♭5
- ♭III+D+D · F♯ · A♯D+maj7
- ivEmE · G · BEm7
- VF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯F♯7
- ♭VIGG · B · DGmaj7
- vii°A♯°A♯ · C♯ · EA♯°7
Progressions to try
- Bm – Em – F♯ i–iv–V · minor with a major V
- C♯° – F♯ – Bm ii°–V–i · minor jazz cadence
- Bm – G – F♯ i–♭VI–V
How to use B harmonic minor
Reach for it over minor keys where the V chord is major (or V7), neoclassical metal, flamenco-flavoured and classical-style passages. Its sound is dramatic, classical and slightly Middle Eastern.
Tip: Use it mainly over the V7 chord of a minor key (E7 in A minor). That one move makes a minor progression sound instantly “classical”.
Where to find B on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every B between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with B |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 7 |
| B (2nd) | 0, 12 |
| G (3rd) | 4 |
| D (4th) | 9 |
| A (5th) | 2 |
| Low E (6th) | 7 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as B harmonic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
B harmonic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the B harmonic minor scale?
The B harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and A♯).
What chords are in B harmonic minor?
Harmonising the B harmonic minor scale in thirds gives Bm (i), C♯° (ii°), D+ (♭III+), Em (iv), F♯ (V), G (♭VI) and A♯° (vii°).
Where do you play the B harmonic minor scale on guitar?
The root, B, is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 6–10, starting from the root on the 6th string.