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A Harmonic Minor vs A Natural Minor

Raise the seventh and a plain minor scale gains a leading tone, a dramatic augmented-2nd leap, and a whole genre.

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A

A Harmonic Minor

eBGDAE3579121517EFG#ABCDEFG#ABCDEFG#ABCDEG#ABCDEFG#ABCDEFG#ABCDEFABCDEFG#ABCDEFG#ABCDEFG#A
Root2nd3rd4th5th♭67th

Notes: A – B – C – D – E – F – G#  ·  Formula: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7

B

A Natural Minor (Aeolian)

eBGDAE3579121517EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGA
Root2nd3rd4th5th♭67th

Notes: A – B – C – D – E – F – G  ·  Formula: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7

What's the difference?

Shared notesA1B2C♭3D4E5F♭6
Only in Harmonic MinorG#7
Only in Natural MinorG♭7
Why it matters: Harmonic minor raises natural minor's ♭7 to a natural 7 (a true leading tone). That creates the strong V–i resolution classical harmony wants, and the wide augmented-2nd gap it opens between the ♭6 and the 7 is the source of the scale's dramatic, 'neo-classical / Middle-Eastern' colour.

Shown in A: A minor is the reference minor across this site, so the comparison lines up with the A Minor scale page.

Go deeper on each scale
A Minor (Natural Minor / Aeolian)Scale page
Related comparisons
Major vs Natural MinorComparisonDorian vs Natural MinorComparisonPhrygian vs Natural MinorComparison
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