C# Harmonic Minor: Notes and Shapes

Here is the C# harmonic minor scale: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A and B#. The B# is a theoretical-looking name for the note you fret as C, and it is the raised 7th that gives the scale its character.

Place the root on the 9th fret of the low E string, or on the 4th fret of the A string. The key itself is a real one: C# minor is a common key, and its raised 7th sits a half step under the tonic. Try three notes per string patterns to see the whole shape.

Play the C# harmonic minor scale

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

Notes of the C# harmonic minor scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
C#1Root0
D#2Major 2nd2
Eb3Minor 3rd3
F#4Perfect 4th5
G#5Perfect 5th7
Ab6Minor 6th8
B#7Major 7th11

Structure

C# harmonic minor scale notes:

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

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.

C# Harmonic Minor Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

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

On one string (B)

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

Box pattern — position 1

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

Box pattern — position 2

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

Box pattern — position 3

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

Box pattern — position 4

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

Box pattern — position 5

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

3 notes per string — position 1

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

3 notes per string — position 2

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

3 notes per string — position 3

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

3 notes per string — position 4

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

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the C# harmonic minor scale

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

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 C#m C#m(maj7)
2 D#dim D#m7(b5)
b3 Eaug Emaj7(b13)
4 F#m F#m7
5 G# G#7
b6 A Amaj7
7 B#dim B#dim7

Related modes

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

Locrian #6 Scale Ionian #5 Scale Dorian #4 Scale Phrygian Dominant Scale Lydian #2 Scale Super Locrian bb7 Scale

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 →

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher