Primary Harmonic Minor Scales - Upper String Scale Series #9

Once the student is comfortable with the primary melodic minor scales and the secondary red majors I will start the primary harmonic minor scales. The introduction order changes slightly for these scales. Most of the harmonic minors use the extension patterns from Barbara Barber’s Fingerboard Geography; the third finger scales are the exception (Figure 1).

The position on the fingerboard that complicated the third finger melodic minor scales makes the harmonics much easier because it allows us to use basic patterns instead of those extensions. I begin the harmonic minor set with the third finger scales of C and G Minor (Figures 3 and 4) for that reason. I do the typical comparison with the natural minor and then talk about the augmented second between the sixth and seventh scale degrees (Figure 2). For these scales we play the third finger (green pattern in context of the key) and then move up to the next string, where our pattern is yellow, just like the natural minor. The raised seventh causes our first finger to move up on the next string into the blue pattern.

From there I go back to the open strings with D, G, and A Minors (Figures 5, 6, and 7). These scales are blue on the low string, just like all their other minor forms, but use the purple pattern on the top string[1].

At that point we can stitch together the two octave G Minor (blue-purple-yellow-blue) (Figure 8).

Moving on brings us to the first finger keys of E, B, and A which are red and gold[2] (Figures 9, 10, 11).

At that point we can add the two octave A Minor (red-gold-blue-purple) (Figure 12).

The second finger scales of B and F-sharp (Figures 13, 14) offer a similar fingering issue to that discussed in the melodic scale post. A low one can be used for the raised seventh, but that requires us to shift, or to use a 1-1 sliding fingering. The former causes a problem of position, and I try to avoid the 1-1 fingering if possible. The coral pattern[3] extends the red pattern’s fourth finger by a half step. Even with the augmented second the distance between the first and fourth fingers is the same as that of the green pattern. As such I encourage most of my students to use the high fourth finger in these scales. The problem that can arise for some students is the difficulty in stretching that distance between the third and fourth finger. Most students can overcome this with finger strengthening through practice, but some won’t be able to, due to matters of anatomy like hand size and finger length. In these cases the student will have to choose one of the less desirable situations with the low first finger.

We can then put together the two octave B Harmonic Minor (yellow-coral-red-gold) (Figure 15), which is the last primary minor scale .

At this point I take time to review all of the forms of minor for each key, ensuring that the student can easily perform all three forms of each in a row. This prepares us for the secondary minors.

[1] See Barbara Barber’s Fingerboard Geography for information on the purple pattern

[2] See Barbara Barber’s Fingerboard Geography for information on the gold pattern

[3] See Barbara Barber’s Fingerboard Geography for information on the coral pattern.