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5.3.7 The 12 Harmonic Minor Scales
There’s yet another “official” version of the minor scale.
This final annoying version of the minor scale is the same as the natural minor up to scale degree 6, but sharpens scale degree 7. The idea is to give the natural minor scale a leading tone. Doing this, however, creates an awkward gap of three semitones (an interval of an augmented second) between scale degrees 6 and 7.
Some songwriters and composers think this version of the minor scale, called the harmonic minor scale, is just hunky dory. Not only do you have a nice leading tone, but you don’t have to concern yourself with separate ascending and descending versions of the minor scale. Still, there’s that ungainly three-semitone interval ...
TABLE 27 Harmonic Minor Scales, All 12 Keys
How to remember the harmonic minor in terms of modes? It’s the same as the Aeolian mode, except that you raise the seventh note by a semitone.
Well, okay. One more mnor scale.