Understanding the Harmonic Minor Scale in Context

To put the harmonic minor scale into context, let's have a listen to a perfect cadence in A minor.

Chord Progression:

• E7 chord resolving down to A minor.

Playing the Chords:

• Here's the E7 and the A minor.
• In playing the root, third, fifth, and seventh of E7, I'm already playing a G sharp.

Our standout note, G sharp, is contained in the chord. This gives you a sense of resolving it to A minor.

Cadence and Tension

By adding a G sharp to my minor scale, I'm creating the familiar tritone interval between the G sharp and the D.

In the same way that we create tension and resolution in a major key, we're doing exactly the same in a minor key by taking advantage of the tension contained within a harmonic minor scale.

Key Points:

• The harmonic minor scale is a great resource for playing over minor cadences.
• The inclusion of G sharp provides the tension and release required for a perfect cadence.
• This scale is excellent for crafting good jazz lines.

A Harmonic Minor Scale Example

Here's an A harmonic minor scale over an E7 to A minor chord progression:

• The only note that doesn't really work for me is actually the A.
• If you play that over the E7 chord, it's almost like giving away the ending before the chord resolves.

To avoid this, I will start on E this time and play the scale, which fits much better with the E7 chord.

How It Should Sound:

• By not starting and finishing on the A, we prevent giving away the resolution of the cadence too early.

Unusual Notes and Modes

There's one other note in our E7 chord that sounds a little unusual.

• In the Mixolydian mode, we would start with an E to F sharp interval.
• However, the harmonic minor starts with a semitone interval, moving from E to F.

The reason for this is that the minor chord can be suggested already over the V chord.

• Having an F sharp and a C sharp from a Mixolydian scale is a bit too bright.
• The harmonic minor gives you that darkness and minor sound needed for the minor key.

Suggesting the Destination

By using the harmonic minor scale, I can suggest that the destination resolution chord is going to be minor.

Here's what E7 with a flattened 9 and an F natural sounds like.

Practice Opportunity

• Get used to playing your harmonic minor scale over V-i chords.
• This practice will really open up the sound of these cadences for you.