MUSIC THEORY: The Harmonic Minor Scale

http://www.creativeguitarstudio.com/

Andrew Wasson of Creative Guitar Studio answers a viewers question...

Q: I am a new subscriber and your lessons are helping me a lot... I cannot thank you enough!

My question is, Can you please cover the Harmonic Minor Scale. I keep hearing about how it is so widely used but after playing it, I cannot seem to get it to sound good over anything. I mostly would like to know where and when I am supposed to be using it. My favorite style of music is the contemporary jazz style. I purchased your album off of your web site and I'm sure that I hear you use it in your music. By the way I love your album. Hope you make another one soon.

Thanks,
Zack Paris, France
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THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE:
This scale is a form of Minor which contains a raised seventh degree. The raised seventh offers a leading tone for strong resolution toward the scales tonic. This makes resolutions occur with far greater pull than is possible with the Natural Minor scale.

The video explains the scales' basic structure and design. Viewers are shown two fingerboard patterns off of sixth and fifth strings. Then, there is a thorough explanation of the harmony and how chords can be used in progressions to utilize the sound of Harmonic Minor.

The complete lesson article for this video, (along with an MP3 audio jam track of the progression heard at the start of the video), is available on the Creative Guitar Studio website. Just follow the link below:
http://www.creativeguitarstudio.com/lessons/guitar_theory/harmonic_minor.php

The "Chord Families Video Lesson" that was mentioned can be watched by following the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBg--Xz3dYE

____________________________________
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[justintime1469]

Hey Andrew,

Can u please tell me what pick-ups ur using? they have a beautiful sound!

BTW, thanks for the lesson! It really help clear some things up for me! :)

thanks Justin

[creativeguitarstudio]

@justintime1469

Hello,

Those are the Seymour Duncan Hot Rail in the Bridge position & a Seymour Duncan Cool Rail in the neck position. I'm playing through a Peavey Bandit 112.

Thanks for Watching,

Andrew Wasson

[perseusbeatkraken]

As nice as jazz is and I appreciate jazz as much as any other genre I was looking more for a neo classical metal version of this lesson but thanks anyway

[rustywood123]

i wish i understood him

[brandonmarks13279]

@tukun3104 you can if you get a low watt practice amp like a line 6 spider IV

[tukun3104]

can i get a high distortion and overdrive using pedals in a very low bedroom volume????

[andrew19vato]

MAKE MORE VIDEOS ANDREW!!!!



[metafis]

What scale is the original 'greensleves'?.To my ears it uses a minor scale, but with a natural sixth(not the flattened sixth of later versions) , a flattened seventh and a natural seventh at various times in the melody.

Thanks

[Habayityehudi]

thenx u realy helped me,,,,,

i know the "ahva raba" (the jewish scale

and i now see that it's just a mode of the

The Harmonic Minor Scal

[AaronQ1222]

@DudeWheresMyDeLorean That particular scale is called the "Hungarian Minor" scale. It's 1 - 2 - b3 - #4 - 5 - b6 - 7. It's the Harmonic Minor scale with an augmented fourth, and it has its own set of modes.

[jojolagos]

Please recommend me any guitarist or band that is very notorious the way he uses this stuff

thanks 

[roanokeepitime95]

I like how you use the correct fingering and terms. Some of these teachers kinda sound like they know what there talking about, but they don't. I appreciate it.