B Harmonic Minor Scale
The B harmonic minor scale contains B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A#. It is B natural minor with the 7th raised from A to A#. It keeps the key signature of B minor (2 sharps: F# and C#), and the A# is written as an accidental.
| Note | B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A# | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Piano fingering for one octave going up; 1 is the thumb. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.
B harmonic minor scale fingering
Right hand, going up: the thumb tucks under to E. Left hand, going up: finger 4 crosses over the thumb to F#. Practise each hand alone, slowly, until the turns are smooth, then play hands together.
B harmonic minor vs B natural minor
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural | B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A |
| Harmonic | B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A# |
Only the 7th changes. A# sits a half step below B, so it pulls up to the tonic, which A does not. It also leaves a gap of three semitones between G and A#, an augmented 2nd, and that gap is the sound people recognise in this scale.
What B harmonic minor is used for
Harmonic minor is what makes a minor key cadence. The raised 7th turns the chord on the 5th degree from minor into major, F# (F# A# C#), and that chord resolves firmly to Bm. It also gives the diminished A#dim (A# C# E) on the 7th degree. Most minor-key classical harmony borrows these chords, even when the melody stays in natural minor.
Chords that change from natural minor
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from B | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 1 | root | 0 |
| C# | 2 | major 2nd | 2 |
| D | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| E | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| F# | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| G | b6 | minor 6th | 8 |
| A# | 7 | major 7th | 11 |
Step pattern
The harmonic minor scale is built from the pattern W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = three semitones). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same scale in a different key.
Key signature
B minor has 2 sharps: F# and C#, and harmonic minor uses the same key signature with one accidental, on the raised 7th: A#. See the key of B minor for the rest of its chords.
Chords in B harmonic minor
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these triads.
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | Bm | B D F# |
| 2 | ii° | C#dim | C# E G |
| 3 | III+ | Daug | D F# A# |
| 4 | iv | Em | E G B |
| 5 | V | F# | F# A# C# |
| 6 | VI | G | G B D |
| 7 | vii° | A#dim | A# C# E |
More scales on B
Harmonic Minor scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B harmonic minor scale?
The B harmonic minor scale contains B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A#, then returns to B an octave higher.
What is the difference between B harmonic minor and B natural minor?
Only the 7th note. B natural minor has A; B harmonic minor raises it to A#, a half step below the tonic.
What key signature does B harmonic minor use?
The key signature of B minor: 2 sharps: F# and C#. The raised 7th, A#, is written as an accidental.
What is the fingering for the B harmonic minor scale on piano?
Going up from B to B, the right hand plays 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 and the left hand plays 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1, where 1 is the thumb. Coming down, use the same fingers in reverse.
What is the step pattern of the harmonic minor scale?
It follows the pattern W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.