Minor Scale Guitar Form

In our earlier guitar lessons we talked about the major guitar scales and its various positions to take advantage of the guitars length of neck. But obviously, the major scale as learned in the last series of beginner guitar lessons is just the tip of the harmonic iceberg. The next series of lessons takes a look at the minor scale as a way of increasing your guitar’s voice and your scale vocabulary.

There are in serious music term actually three different minor scales: the natural minor scales, the melodic minor and the harmonic minor scale. We actually have covered the natural minor scale in previous free guitar lessons; the natural minor is related to the major guitar scale. The G major scale started on the sixth scale step is the same as the E minor (or in this case the E natural minor) scale.

Since these guitar lessons, while sound in music theory for all types of music, are primarily designed for Rock, Funk, and Blues guitarist we’re going to bypass the melodic minor scale for now as these scales are primarily used in jazz and classical music.

Minor Guitar Scales: Harmonic minor scale in linier form

Just as the major scale has a set series of whole and half steps to define its tonality, the harmonic minor has it’s own formula of whole and half steps. So, first we’ll look at these scales in its linier single string form.

Keeping in mind that each fret of the guitar represents ½ step (and two halves make a whole), you can see that the make up of a harmonic minor scale is:

Starting on the root: whole step, half step, whole step, whole step. half step, one and a half steps, half step.

After playing this guitar scale you can hear its exotic feel and mode, so very different for that of the major scale. This is large due to the unusually large step and half framed on either side by a half step which imparts a Dick Dale surf melody heavily influenced by Middle Eastern music. This scale has also been used to great effect by metal bands such as Metalica and Iron Maiden.

Minor Guitar Scales: Harmonic minor scale, all six strings

Here is the form of the A harmonic minor scale on all six strings. Notice that it starts on the root (A).

Minor Guitar Scale: A harmonic minor scale, variation 1

Just as we had with our previous how to play guitar series, we’re going to make the most use out of the guitar’s neck by starting the harmonic minor scale on a note other than the root. For the next in this series of learn to play guitar, we’ll past over the second guitar scale step and start this next for on the third note of the scale: C.

Minor Scale Guitar: A harmonic minor scale, variation 2

Unlike the major guitar scale where we skipped building off of the fourth scales step, the next harmonic minor scale builds of the fourth step. So, now we’ll start the scale on D:

Minor Scale on guitar: A harmonic minor scale, variation 3

This version of the Am (harmonic minor) scale is built off of the fifth scale step. This scale already sound exotic, but even more so when starting on different step. Don’t let the sound of the scale distract you from learning the positions taught in these lesson: the pay off is you’ll learn how to play electric guitar using the entire fingerboard.

Guitar Minor Scale: A harmonic minor scale, variation 4

And, finally the last form of this guitar scale in these electric guitar lessons is built off of the seventh scale step. This is fairly high up the neck, and can be position down one octave (twelve frets) if it’s too uncomfortable if you’re playing an acoustic guitar.

Minor Guitar Scale: harmonic minor scale review

Of course, the harmonic minor scales in these guitar lessons are all in Am. When you learn how to play guitar and implementing the various forms of these guitar scales taught in these lessons, you should try all the forms with different root notes. The tonality of the harmonic minor scale is a little difficult to hear, especially when compared to the major scale (all those variations of the major scale don’t seem so foreign now, do they?), but stick with it. If you apply these forms, you’ll be rewarded with the entire neck of guitar as a playground for your solos.

Our next set of guitar lessons will teach you the fun and easy pentatonic guitar scale: your reward for working so hard on these challenging fingering. Good Job!