Guitar UpscaleHarmonic Minor Bebop scale on guitar
Harmonic minor bebop is natural minor with the major seventh added, eight notes that keep chord tones on the beat.
| Notes in A | A B C D E F G G# |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 7 |
| Steps | W H W W H W H H (W whole step, H half step) |
| Note count | 8 |
| Style in the app | Minor, scale "Harmonic Bebop" |
Play A Harmonic Minor Bebop on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale
About the Harmonic Minor Bebop scale
The scale holds both the flat 7th and the major 7th, so it has eight notes. Bebop players add a passing note like this so a run of eighth notes lands chord tones on the strong beats.
Over a minor chord it sounds like natural minor. The extra major 7th gives a short pull back to the root on the way up.
Play it in steady eighth notes from the root, downward. The root, flat 3rd and 5th fall on the beats.
Intervals from the root
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | In A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A |
| 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | B |
| b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | C |
| 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | D |
| 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | E |
| b6 | Minor 6th | 8 | F |
| b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | G |
| 7 | Major 7th | 11 | G# |
Same notes, another starting note
Start the A Harmonic Minor Bebop scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:
- From degree b3 (C): C Bebop Major
Harmonic Minor Bebop in every key
| Key | Notes | Play it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C D Eb F G Ab Bb B | Open |
| C# | C# D# E F# G# A B B# | Open |
| D | D E F G A Bb C C# | Open |
| Eb | Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db D | Open |
| E | E F# G A B C D D# | Open |
| F | F G Ab Bb C Db Eb E | Open |
| F# | F# G# A B C# D E E# | Open |
| G | G A Bb C D Eb F F# | Open |
| G# | G# A# B C# D# E F# G | Open |
| A | A B C D E F G G# | Open |
| Bb | Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab A | Open |
| B | B C# D E F# G A A# | Open |