Tips for Learning the E Harmonic Minor Scale on Guitar
It is E natural minor with a raised 7th
Take E natural minor (E F# G A B C D) and raise the ♭7 (D) a half step to D#. That single raised note — the leading tone — is the only difference from the natural minor, and it is what gives harmonic minor its dramatic pull back to the root.
Mind the augmented 2nd
Between the ♭6 (C) and the raised 7th (D#) there is a three-fret jump — the augmented 2nd. That wider step-and-a-half is the signature exotic leap of harmonic minor; practise gliding across it cleanly on a single string.
Use the open-position box
The root sits on the open low E string, so E harmonic minor lines can ring against open strings. Anchor the first box at the open position (or fret 12) and build the seven-note shape from the low E root.
The raised 7th unlocks a major V
Because the 7th is raised to a leading tone, the V chord in E minor becomes major — B7 — instead of minor. That strong B7 → Em resolution is the whole reason harmonic minor exists, and it is the backbone of minor-key classical and neoclassical progressions.
Where you will hear it
Harmonic minor drives neoclassical metal (Yngwie-style shred), flamenco and Spanish guitar, Middle-Eastern-flavoured lines, and virtually all classical minor-key music. Target E, G, and B to spell the E minor triad, and lean on D# as the note that pulls you home.
About the E Harmonic Minor Scale
The E harmonic minor scale is seven notes — E, F#, G, A, B, C, D# — the E natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, from D up to D#. That raised 7th is a leading tone: it pulls strongly up to the root and turns the V chord into a major B7, giving minor keys their dramatic, resolved cadence. The raised note also opens a three-semitone gap — the augmented 2nd — between the ♭6 (C) and the 7th (D#), the interval responsible for the exotic, classical, faintly Middle-Eastern colour of harmonic minor. On guitar the first box sits with the root on the open low E string (or fret 12), and the scale works over E minor, Em(maj7), and a B7 dominant.
- 01Notes: E – F# – G – A – B – C – D#
- 02Scale degrees: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7 (raised, major 7th)
- 03Built by raising the 7th of E natural minor (D → D#)
- 04The augmented 2nd between the ♭6 (C) and 7 (D#) gives its exotic sound
- 05The raised 7th is a leading tone — it makes the V chord a major B7
- 06Root available on the open low E string (or fret 12)
- 07Heard in neoclassical metal, flamenco, and classical minor-key music
E Harmonic Minor — note by note
Every harmonic minor scale uses the same seven-note formula — scale degrees 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, and 7. It is the natural minor scale with the 7th raised a half step to a major 7th (leading tone), which creates the augmented 2nd between the ♭6 and 7 that gives harmonic minor its distinctive, exotic sound.
| Degree | Note | Role | Interval (from root) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | Root (tonic) | Unison (0 st) |
| 2 | F# / Gb | Major second | +2 semitones |
| ♭3 | G | Minor third | +3 semitones |
| 4 | A | Perfect fourth | +5 semitones |
| 5 | B | Perfect fifth | +7 semitones |
| ♭6 | C | Minor sixth | +8 semitones |
| 7 | D# / Eb | Major seventh (leading tone) | +11 semitones |