Getting Started with G Harmonic Major
G, A, B, C, D, Eb and F# are the notes of the G harmonic major scale. Compared with G major, only the E has been lowered to Eb, and that is the minor sixth.
Use the open G string as a reference tone, and the 3rd fret of the low E string as a lower anchor. The chord of the fourth degree becomes minor, so Cm appears where a major key would expect C. For a longer way to practise, two notes per string patterns show the scale in a different light.
Play the G harmonic major scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the G harmonic major scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Root | 0 |
| A | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| B | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| C | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| D | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Eb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| F# | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
G harmonic major scale notes:
How the harmonic major scale is built:
The harmonic major scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-W-H-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is the parent scale of its own modal family.
G Harmonic Major Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (G)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the G harmonic major scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
The harmonic major scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
