Eb Harmonic Minor, Shape by Shape
Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb and D make up the Eb harmonic minor scale. The Cb is simply B on the fretboard, and the D natural is the raised 7th, a half step below the root.
The first box sits at the 11th fret of the low E string, and a second root waits on the 6th fret of the A string. D# harmonic minor is the sharp twin, though its double sharp makes Eb the neater choice. For ideas on moving between boxes, try diagonal scale patterns.
Play the Eb harmonic minor scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Eb harmonic minor scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eb | 1 | Root | 0 |
| F | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| Gb | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| Ab | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Bb | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Cb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| D | 7 | Major 7th | 11 |
Structure
Eb harmonic minor scale notes:
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.
Eb Harmonic Minor Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (D)
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 Eb harmonic minor scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
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
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
