D Harmonic Minor Scale
The D harmonic minor scale contains D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C#. It is D natural minor with the 7th raised from C to C#. It keeps the key signature of D minor (1 flat: Bb), and the C# is written as an accidental.
| Note | D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C# | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Piano fingering for one octave going up; 1 is the thumb. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.
D harmonic minor scale fingering
Right hand, going up: the thumb tucks under to G. Left hand, going up: finger 3 crosses over the thumb to Bb. Practise each hand alone, slowly, until the turns are smooth, then play hands together.
D harmonic minor vs D natural minor
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural | D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C |
| Harmonic | D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C# |
Only the 7th changes. C# sits a half step below D, so it pulls up to the tonic, which C does not. It also leaves a gap of three semitones between Bb and C#, an augmented 2nd, and that gap is the sound people recognise in this scale.
What D 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, A (A C# E), and that chord resolves firmly to Dm. It also gives the diminished C#dim (C# E G) 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 D | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | root | 0 |
| E | 2 | major 2nd | 2 |
| F | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| G | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| A | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| Bb | b6 | minor 6th | 8 |
| C# | 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
D minor has 1 flat: Bb, and harmonic minor uses the same key signature with one accidental, on the raised 7th: C#. See the key of D minor for the rest of its chords.
Chords in D harmonic minor
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these triads.
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | Dm | D F A |
| 2 | ii° | Edim | E G Bb |
| 3 | III+ | Faug | F A C# |
| 4 | iv | Gm | G Bb D |
| 5 | V | A | A C# E |
| 6 | VI | Bb | Bb D F |
| 7 | vii° | C#dim | C# E G |
More scales on D
Harmonic Minor scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the D harmonic minor scale?
The D harmonic minor scale contains D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C#, then returns to D an octave higher.
What is the difference between D harmonic minor and D natural minor?
Only the 7th note. D natural minor has C; D harmonic minor raises it to C#, a half step below the tonic.
What key signature does D harmonic minor use?
The key signature of D minor: 1 flat: Bb. The raised 7th, C#, is written as an accidental.
What is the fingering for the D harmonic minor scale on piano?
Going up from D to D, the right hand plays 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 and the left hand plays 5 4 3 2 1 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.