How do you use harmonic scale?

[Baloo]

I mean on practice and theory.....

Do you like to use it?

Do you have any good tip or groove?

I listen it kind of misterious weird sound, so particular...

[Benjamin Strange]

What do you mean by "harmonic"?

[Wrong Robot]

Harmonic major/minor maybe?

[Baloo]

I just know harmonic minor: C, D, Eb, F, G, G#, B, C

Could you tell me how is harmonic major?

Do you have experience using modes on harmonic scale (minor and major)?

[Wrong Robot]

Harmonic Major is 1-2-3-4-5-b6-7

I don't really know how it's used though, I haven't really studied it at all.

[Baloo]

I see the 7th degree make it sound harmonic.....

[Slot]

Harmonic minor came about because 'some' classical musicians couldnt stand the fact that the stock standard minor scale didnt resolve with a semitone preceding the root.

The scale is generally used over Minor(maj7) chords, but it can also sound hip if you state some harmonic minor ideas over regular minor tonality. Just dont over use it in that situation, its more of a colouring device.

A good way of memorising the harmonic minor modes is by thinking of harmonic minor as an aeolian mode with a sharp 7. Then use that method for the other modes within the scale. So for example, all the modes would be

1st: Aeolian(Maj 7)
2nd: Locrian(Maj 6)
3rd: Ionian(Sharp 5)
4th: Dorian(Sharp 4)
5th: Phrygian(Maj 3) - also known as phrygian dominant
6th: Lydian(Sharp 2)
7th: Mixolydian(Sharp 1) - used over diminished chords

They've got official names, but my brain is fried from drinking too much last night so i cant remember them. I find the above method alot easier to remember though, because all you have to do is think of the regular modes with one sharpened note.

The most commonly used modes out of the scale are the ones starting on the 5th and 7th degrees.

The 5th mode(phrygian dominant) can be used over dominant chords that resolves to a minor chord.
egs: G7 | Cmin7

...........unless stated otherwise, like: G7(#9) | Cmin7 <-u wouldnt use it in that situation.

The actual chord symbol that goes with this scale would be: G7(b9, b13) | Cmin7

The 7th mode can be used over diminished chords

The 3rd mode is also a good one to use over Augmented chords(or Augmented Major7 chords), but steer clear of the natural 4.

Hope that helps. Check out "Caravan". The C7 vamp is based around a C phrygian dominant sound(F harmonic Minor). You might find some nice groove ideas by checking out some of those recordings

[Baloo]

Now I know something new, thank you

[Howard K]

The 5th mode(phrygian dominant) can be used over dominant chords that resolves to a minor chord.

Just to add to this... this is good scale in this context cause it has a flat 2nd/9th - which is a common solour tone in a V7 resolving to a minor tonic.

edit: oh wait you said that already!

...........unless stated otherwise, like: G7(#9) | Cmin7 <-u wouldnt use it in that situation.

actually, I would. b9 over a V7#9 chord, usually - well, in my experience - sounds good.

[BassGod]

I'm pretty sure in Creeping Death by Metallica they use a harmonic minor scale... at the end of the song you can hear it. Maybe give that song a listen, it's a good song if you like that kind of music.

~Graeme

[Slot]

Originally Posted by Howard K

actually, I would. b9 over a V7#9 chord, usually - well, in my experience - sounds good.

Yea, flat 9 over sharp 9 is a great sound.

But there is no sharp 9 in the phryg dom scale.(that doesnt mean you "cant" play it though)

over a sharp 9 i'd steer more towards an altered scale, or a half-whole diminished. Both have the b9 + the #9

[Howard K]

... or whole tone... we've had this conversation before haven't we?!

[Slot]

Wholetone has neither a sharp 9 or flat 9......but meh ...this can get like a merry go round

.....wait .....nm