How To Play an F# Harmonic Minor Scale on the Piano

[goldgmt]

isn't it melodic rather than to say it's harmonic?

[BrentHendersonMusic]

@goldgmt In this case "Harmonic" has nothing to do with harmony or chords or anything like that...it's just the name of the scale. Kind of a bad name if you ask me because it confuses people and it has nothing to do with harmony. There's also a Melodic Minor scale- another poorly named scale because all scales are melodic!

[tripleh333]

@BrentHendersonMusic Actually, its called a "harmonic" scale because the raised seventh in the minor key (for example the note G# in the key of a minor) creates a major V chord (E major, in place of e minor) that would not exist with the natural minor scale. This makes harmonizing in a minor mode more conventional, hence its name. The melodic minor is called "melodic" because it eliminates the awkward augmented second created with the raised seventh. Scales are not poorly named. PS: Its E#!!

[BrentHendersonMusic]

The book's right...you should start with third finger. That way it trains you to be able to play the scale more than one octave.

[0zxyzxy]

I just learned this little sucker. In my book you start off on fingers 3 and 4, and you start on 2 and 3.

Don't know if that matters, but I am curious how you learned it now.