Harmonic Minor scale · 7 notes
C♯ harmonic minor scale on guitar
The C♯ harmonic minor scale (C sharp harmonic minor scale) has 7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B♯. Natural minor with a raised 7th: dramatic, neoclassical and a little exotic. You may also see it written as D♭ harmonic minor, but C♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H
Sound
Dramatic, classical and slightly Middle Eastern
C♯ harmonic minor on the whole fretboard
Every C♯ harmonic minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C♯, 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
C♯ at fret 9. 8th position: frets 8–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C♯ harmonic minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C♯, the C♯ harmonic minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 5 sharps (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and B♯). Compared with C♯ minor, it has B♯ (7) instead of B.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | 0 |
| 2 | D♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | A | minor 6th | 8 |
| 7 | B♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Chords in C♯ harmonic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to C♯ harmonic minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in C♯ harmonic minor.
- iC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m(maj7)
- ii°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · AD♯m7♭5
- ♭III+E+E · G♯ · B♯E+maj7
- ivF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- VG♯G♯ · B♯ · D♯G♯7
- ♭VIAA · C♯ · EAmaj7
- vii°B♯°B♯ · D♯ · F♯B♯°7
Progressions to try
- C♯m – F♯m – G♯ i–iv–V · minor with a major V
- D♯° – G♯ – C♯m ii°–V–i · minor jazz cadence
- C♯m – A – G♯ i–♭VI–V
How to use C♯ 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 C♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C♯ harmonic minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C♯ harmonic minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ harmonic minor scale?
The C♯ harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A and B♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7. It contains 5 sharps (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and B♯).
What chords are in C♯ harmonic minor?
Harmonising the C♯ harmonic minor scale in thirds gives C♯m (i), D♯° (ii°), E+ (♭III+), F♯m (iv), G♯ (V), A (♭VI) and B♯° (vii°).
Where do you play the C♯ harmonic minor scale on guitar?
The root, C♯, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 8–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.