C sharp harmonic minor scale on guitar
The C sharp harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B♯ (C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A, and B sharp). The diagrams work the same for acoustic and electric guitar.
- C♯ C sharp 1
- D♯ D sharp 2
- E ♭3
- F♯ F sharp 4
- G♯ G sharp 5
- A ♭6
- B♯ B sharp 7
Whole neck: every note of the scale up to fret 15. The root (C♯) is highlighted.
Positions as text
Position 3 (frets 0 to 5), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: open (E), 2 (F♯), 4 (G♯)
- string 5: open (A), 3 (B♯), 4 (C♯)
- string 4: 1 (D♯), 2 (E), 4 (F♯)
- string 3: 1 (G♯), 2 (A), 5 (B♯)
- string 2: 2 (C♯), 4 (D♯), 5 (E)
- string 1: 2 (F♯), 4 (G♯), 5 (A)
Position 4 (frets 2 to 8), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: 2 (F♯), 4 (G♯), 5 (A)
- string 5: 3 (B♯), 4 (C♯), 6 (D♯)
- string 4: 2 (E), 4 (F♯), 6 (G♯)
- string 3: 2 (A), 5 (B♯), 6 (C♯)
- string 2: 4 (D♯), 5 (E), 7 (F♯)
- string 1: 4 (G♯), 5 (A), 8 (B♯)
Position 5 (frets 4 to 9), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: 4 (G♯), 5 (A), 8 (B♯)
- string 5: 4 (C♯), 6 (D♯), 7 (E)
- string 4: 4 (F♯), 6 (G♯), 7 (A)
- string 3: 5 (B♯), 6 (C♯), 8 (D♯)
- string 2: 5 (E), 7 (F♯), 9 (G♯)
- string 1: 5 (A), 8 (B♯), 9 (C♯)
Position 6 (frets 5 to 11), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: 5 (A), 8 (B♯), 9 (C♯)
- string 5: 6 (D♯), 7 (E), 9 (F♯)
- string 4: 6 (G♯), 7 (A), 10 (B♯)
- string 3: 6 (C♯), 8 (D♯), 9 (E)
- string 2: 7 (F♯), 9 (G♯), 10 (A)
- string 1: 8 (B♯), 9 (C♯), 11 (D♯)
Position 7 (frets 7 to 13), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: 8 (B♯), 9 (C♯), 11 (D♯)
- string 5: 7 (E), 9 (F♯), 11 (G♯)
- string 4: 7 (A), 10 (B♯), 11 (C♯)
- string 3: 8 (D♯), 9 (E), 11 (F♯)
- string 2: 9 (G♯), 10 (A), 13 (B♯)
- string 1: 9 (C♯), 11 (D♯), 12 (E)
Position 1 (frets 9 to 14), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: 9 (C♯), 11 (D♯), 12 (E)
- string 5: 9 (F♯), 11 (G♯), 12 (A)
- string 4: 10 (B♯), 11 (C♯), 13 (D♯)
- string 3: 9 (E), 11 (F♯), 13 (G♯)
- string 2: 10 (A), 13 (B♯), 14 (C♯)
- string 1: 11 (D♯), 12 (E), 14 (F♯)
Position 2 (frets 11 to 15), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 6: 11 (D♯), 12 (E), 14 (F♯)
- string 5: 11 (G♯), 12 (A), 15 (B♯)
- string 4: 11 (C♯), 13 (D♯), 14 (E)
- string 3: 11 (F♯), 13 (G♯), 14 (A)
- string 2: 13 (B♯), 14 (C♯)
- string 1: 11 (D♯), 12 (E), 14 (F♯)
Fretboard positions
On the neck, the scale splits into positions of 3 notes per string. Position 1 starts on the root (C sharp) on the lowest string; the others start on the following notes.
Use Degrees to see the role of each note (1 is the root) and Listen to hear the selected position going up and down.
Formula
- C♯
- W
- D♯
- H
- E
- W
- F♯
- W
- G♯
- H
- A
- 1½W
- B♯
- H
- C♯
Degrees: 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · 7. Steps: W – H – W – W – H – 1½W – H (W = whole step, H = half step).
About the harmonic minor scale
Minor with a major seventh, which creates the leading tone and the dominant chord. Dramatic, with an "Eastern" flavour between the 6th and 7th.
Harmonized scale (chords in the key)
The chords that come from the scale, stacking thirds from each note.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Im | C♯m | C♯m(7M) | tonic |
| II° | D♯° | D♯m7(b5) | subdominant |
| III+ | E+ | E7M(#5) | tonic |
| IVm | F♯m | F♯m7 | subdominant |
| V | G♯ | G♯7 | dominant |
| VI | A | A7M | subdominant |
| VII° | B♯° | B♯°7 | dominant |
Arpeggios of these chords on guitar
Scales with the same notes
More C sharp scales
- Major (D♭)
- Natural minor
- Harmonic minor
- Melodic minor
- Major pentatonic (D♭)
- Minor pentatonic
- Blues
- Major blues
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian (D♭)
- Mixolydian
- Locrian
- Nordestina (Brazilian baião) (D♭)
- Phrygian dominant
- Whole-tone (D♭)
- Diminished (whole-half)
- Dominant diminished (half-whole)
Harmonic minor in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the C sharp harmonic minor scale?
The notes of the C sharp harmonic minor scale are C sharp, D sharp, E, F sharp, G sharp, A, and B sharp. The root, degree 1, is C sharp.
What is the formula of the C sharp harmonic minor scale?
In degrees: 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭6 · 7. In steps between the notes: W – H – W – W – H – 1½W – H (W = whole step, H = half step).
How do you play the C sharp harmonic minor scale on guitar?
On the neck, the scale splits into positions of 3 notes per string. Position 1 starts on the root (C sharp) on the lowest string; the others start on the following notes. There are 7 positions on guitar, each with the full fingering.
Which chords belong to the C sharp harmonic minor scale?
The chords of the harmonized scale are: C♯m, D♯°, E+, F♯m, G♯, A, B♯°.