A# Harmonic Minor on Guitar

A# harmonic minor reads A#, B#, C#, D#, E#, F# and G##. B#, E# and G## all turn up, and a key signature of seven sharps is not something anyone enjoys reading, so use Bb harmonic minor. It sounds identical and the root is the same 6th fret of the low E string.

Play the A# harmonic minor scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the A# harmonic minor scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
A#1Root0
B#2Major 2nd2
C#b3Minor 3rd3
D#4Perfect 4th5
E#5Perfect 5th7
F#b6Minor 6th8
G##7Major 7th11

Structure

A# harmonic minor scale notes:

A# B# C# D# E# F# G##

How the harmonic minor scale is built:

The harmonic minor scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W-W-H-W+H-H (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is the parent scale of its own modal family.

It is also known as Aeolian Maj 7.

A# Harmonic Minor Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (A)

On one string (A)

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 2

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 3

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 4

A# Harmonic Minor Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 5

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the A# harmonic minor scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 A#m A#m(maj7)
2 B#dim B#m7(b5)
b3 C#aug C#maj7(b13)
4 D#m D#m7
5 E# E#7
b6 F# F#maj7
7 G##dim G##dim7

Related modes

These scales share the same notes as the harmonic minor scale, starting from a different degree.

The harmonic minor scale in other keys

C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B

All about the harmonic minor scale →