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What Is a Harmonic Scale? It's NOT the Harmonic Minor Scale!
Just a reminder: don't confuse a harmonic scale, a scale of chords, with a harmonic minor scale, a scale of notes. Major differences between a melodic scale and a harmonic scale are these:
- Any melodic scale, such as the harmonic minor scale, begins with scale degree 1 and ends with scale degree 1 (8)—two different notes. That’s because, in melody, the octave matters.
- In harmony, the octave does not matter. Therefore, a harmonic scale, a scale of chords, would need to begin with harmonic degree I and also end with harmonic degree I—the same chord. As pointed out above, a chord is a chord is a chord. No distinction is made between a chord played in one octave and the same chord played in a different octave. There are no "high chords" and "low chords," the way there are high melodic notes and low melodic notes.
Since the first and last chords in a harmonic scale are the same chord (the tonic chord, I), what shape, then, must a harmonic scale take?