Scales · Harmonic Minor Key of B

B Harmonic Minor Scale on guitar · notes, intervals & diagram

The B Harmonic Minor scale contains the notes B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A♯. Natural minor with a raised 7th — creates the dramatic 1.5-step gap between b6 and 7. Classical, neo-classical, Middle-Eastern flavours.

Standard tuning · 15 frets

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EADGBE 35791215 E F♯ G A♯ B C♯ D E F♯ G A♯ B C♯ D E F♯ G A♯ B D E F♯ G A♯ B C♯ D E G A♯ B C♯ D E F♯ G A♯ B C♯ D E F♯ G A♯ B C♯ D E F♯ G A♯ B C♯ D E F♯ G Root Scale note

Notes & intervals.

# Degree Note
1 1 B root
2 2 C♯
3 b3 D
4 4 E
5 5 F♯
6 b6 G
7 7 A♯

Sound & use

Natural minor with a raised 7th — creates the dramatic 1.5-step gap between b6 and 7. Classical, neo-classical, Middle-Eastern flavours.

Yngwie-style neo-classical metal, Baroque counterpoint, klezmer, anything that wants a strong leading-tone pull to the tonic.

Common in: classical, metal, neo-classical, klezmer, middle-eastern

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Other scales

Other scales in the key of B.

Scale

B Major

Bright, resolved, optimistic — the default sound of Western pop, folk and most children's music.

Scale

B Natural Minor

Melancholy, introspective, serious — but not desperately sad. The classic "minor key" sound.

Scale

B Major Pentatonic

The major scale with the 4 and 7 removed — five notes that "always work" over a major chord. Sweet, melodic, never dissonant.

Scale

B Minor Pentatonic

The scale that built rock and blues. Bluesy, plaintive, and easy to play in five connected positions across the neck.

Scale

B Blues

Minor pentatonic plus the "blue note" (b5). Gritty, vocal, instantly recognisable as the blues.

Scale

B Dorian

Minor with a major 6th — darker than major, warmer than natural minor. Sophisticated, hopeful-melancholy.

Scale

B Phrygian

Minor with a flat 2nd — exotic, Spanish, slightly menacing. The b2 is the defining sound.

Scale

B Lydian

Major with a raised 4th — dreamy, suspended, otherworldly. The sound of film-score wonder.

Scale

B Mixolydian

Major with a flat 7th — bright but bluesy. The "rock major scale".

Scale

B Locrian

The "weird one" — minor with both a flat 2nd and a flat 5th. Restless, dissonant, hard to resolve.

Scale

B Melodic Minor

Minor scale with a major 6th and 7th going up (jazz/ascending form). Sophisticated, slippery, modern.

Scale

B Phrygian Dominant

Phrygian with a major 3rd — the iconic flamenco/Middle-Eastern sound. Major flavour, minor tension.

Scale

B Hungarian Minor

Two augmented seconds (between b3–#4 and b6–7) give this scale its distinctive Eastern European / Romani drama.

Scale

B Whole Tone

Six equally-spaced notes, no semitones — the symmetrical "dreamlike" scale. No clear tonic; ambiguous and weightless.

Scale

B Hirajoshi

Traditional Japanese pentatonic — austere, contemplative, instantly evocative of koto music.

All keys

Harmonic Minor scale in every key.

FAQ

About the B Harmonic Minor scale
on guitar.

What notes are in the B Harmonic Minor scale?

The B Harmonic Minor scale contains the notes B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A♯. The intervals from the root are 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7.

Where does the B Harmonic Minor scale come from?

It's the Harmonic Minor scale rooted on B. Natural minor with a raised 7th — creates the dramatic 1.5-step gap between b6 and 7. Classical, neo-classical, Middle-Eastern flavours. Yngwie-style neo-classical metal, Baroque counterpoint, klezmer, anything that wants a strong leading-tone pull to the tonic.

How do I practise the B Harmonic Minor scale on guitar?

Start with the diagram on this page — find the root notes (the orange dots) and play through the pattern slowly, alternating picking. Once the shape is in your hands, set a metronome at around 60 BPM and play it ascending and descending in eighth-notes. Use the free metronome to keep yourself honest.

Which genres use the B Harmonic Minor scale?

The Harmonic Minor scale is found across classical, metal, neo-classical, klezmer, middle-eastern. The character of the key — B — affects how it feels rather than how it works: a B Harmonic Minor solo has the same intervals and the same emotional shape as any other Harmonic Minor solo, just transposed.

Can I print the B Harmonic Minor fretboard diagram?

Yes. Use your browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl + P) — the diagram on this page is a vector SVG that prints crisply at any size. Or use the interactive scale generator to export the same diagram as a standalone SVG or PNG file.