Harmonic minor

The natural minor scale has a weakness: its ♭7 does not pull strongly back to the root. The HARMONIC MINOR fixes that by raising the 7th a semitone.

Result: 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7 — natural minor with a "leading tone". The gap between ♭6 and 7 is three semitones, which gives the scale its dramatic, Spanish/Middle-Eastern flavour.

A harmonic minor: A–B–C–D–E–F–G#. Only one note differs from natural minor: G becomes G#.

natural minor with a raised 7th

A harmonic minor: the G# creates the pull back to A.

Practise this in the trainer — it opens with this lesson the first time the concept comes up.