Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor

The three minors

Most pop music uses one or more of these three minor scales. Understanding their differences gives you huge expressive range.

1. Natural minor

Formula: W — H — W — W — H — W — W

Or, in terms of degrees: 1 — 2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — ♭6 — ♭7

A minor: A B C D E F G. The “saddest” sounding of the three — minor third, minor sixth, minor seventh.

This is the relative minor of every major scale. A natural minor uses exactly the same notes as C major — it’s just starting on A instead of C. Same notes, different home, completely different mood.

2. Harmonic minor

Formula: W — H — W — W — H — Aug2 — H

Degrees: 1 — 2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — ♭6 — 7 (a natural 7th, raised from the natural minor)

A harmonic minor: A B C D E F G♯. The “Spanish/Middle-Eastern/cinematic” sound — that big augmented-second gap between ♭6 and 7 gives it an exotic flavor.

Why does this scale exist? Because classical composers wanted a strong dominant chord (a V major with a leading tone pulling up to the tonic) in minor keys. Raising the 7th gives you that.

3. Melodic minor

Formula (ascending): W — H — W — W — W — W — H

Degrees ascending: 1 — 2 — ♭3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7

A melodic minor: A B C D E F♯ G♯. Like a major scale with a ♭3. The sound of much of modern jazz.

Classical tradition descends the melodic minor as natural minor (lowering the 6 and 7 again). Jazz uses melodic minor the same way ascending and descending. We’ll use the jazz convention.

On the fretboard

When to use which

• Natural minor: most pop, rock, folk, and ballad music in a minor key. Default minor sound.
• Harmonic minor: for that “moment of drama” — usually when you want a major V chord in a minor key, or for cinematic/Spanish/metal sections.
• Melodic minor: jazz, sophisticated pop, film. The jazz convention treats it as a full scale in its own right with multiple modes.

Try this

Play “Greensleeves” or any minor melody you know. The melody almost certainly avoids the 7 except on its way up to the tonic, where it uses the raised 7 (harmonic minor). That’s the natural place where harmonic minor “lives” in functional music.