Fingerings for the 12 harmonic minor scales – free course

The harmonic minor scale is the natural minor with its 7th degree raised (the leading note). It contains an augmented second (a tone and a half) between the 6th and 7th degrees, which gives it its unmistakable oriental flavour. Good news: most fingerings are close to those of the major scales on the same tonic.

Scale	Notes	Right hand	Left hand
A minor	A B C D E F G♯ A	1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5	5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
E minor	E F♯ G A B C D♯ E	1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5	5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
B minor	B C♯ D E F♯ G A♯ B	1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5	4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1
F♯ minor	F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E♯ F♯	3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3	4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4
C♯ minor	C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B♯ C♯	3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3	3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
G♯ minor	G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F𝄪 G♯	3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3	3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3
E♭ / D♯ minor	E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D E♭	3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3	2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2
B♭ minor	B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A B♭	4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4	2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2
F minor	F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E F	1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4	5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
C minor	C D E♭ F G A♭ B C	1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5	5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
G minor	G A B♭ C D E♭ F♯ G	1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5	5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
D minor	D E F G A B♭ C♯ D	1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5	5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

Landmarks to remember

A, E, D, G, C minor: "like C" fingering in both hands, even though some contain flats. The right hand's 4 falls on the leading note.
B minor: same fingering as B major.
F♯, C♯, G♯ minor: identical right hand, 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 — thumbs on each scale's two white keys.
F minor: like F major.
E♭ and B♭ minor: right hand like the corresponding majors; the left hand starts on 2, one of the rare times this happens.

M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=66
K:Am
!1!A,!2!B,!3!C!1!D !2!E!3!F!4!^G!5!A | !5!A!4!^G!3!F!2!E !1!D!3!C!2!B,!1!A, |]

Listen to the augmented second F–G♯: play it slowly while singing it. It is the hardest interval to play evenly, because fingers 3 and 4 have to stretch apart.

What about melodic minor?

Melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th degrees going up and returns to the natural minor coming down. Its fingerings are in the vast majority of cases identical to the harmonic minor; only a few keys (such as F♯ or B♭ minor) have variants that you will find marked in scale books. Start with harmonic minor, which is more useful for the ear.

Common mistakes:

Forgetting to raise the leading note: you then play the natural minor (not wrong in itself, but not the scale asked for).
Stiffening the hand on the augmented second: let the wrist glide slightly.

Tip: practise each minor straight after its relative major (A minor after C major, E minor after G…): you reinforce both the fingerings and your knowledge of key signatures.