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Music Theory

Harmonic Major Scales

The harmonic major scale is a variant of the natural major scale with a single change: the sixth degree is lowered a half step (UK: semitone). That alteration gives the scale a distinctive dark color without leaving the major sound: the tonic triad is still major.

Other names for the same scale are Ionian ♭6 (the major scale, or Ionian mode, with a lowered 6th) and, in Spanish conservatory teaching, escala mayor mixta principal ("main mixed major scale"). "Mixed" refers to the mix of major and minor features: a major scale that uses the sixth degree of the parallel minor. In English the usual name is harmonic major, by analogy with harmonic minor: both have an augmented second between degrees 6 and 7.

Start from the natural major scale:

C major (natural), no accidentals: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Between one note and the next: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

Lower the sixth degree by a half step and you get the harmonic major scale:

C harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: C, D, E, F, G, A♭, B, C. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: A♭.

In the examples, the lowered note is shown in red to make it easy to spot. You do not need to mark it in exercises.

The scales are shown in two ways: with the accidentals written inside the scale, and with a key signature. Both are equivalent.

Interval pattern

The pattern of whole steps and half steps of the harmonic major scale is W–W–H–W–H–A2–H (W = whole step, H = half step, A2 = augmented second, which is 3 half steps). The lowered sixth degree creates an augmented second between degrees 6 and 7, the same interval that appears in the harmonic minor scale.

Degree12345678
Step from previous note—WWHWHA2H
C harmonic majorCDEFGA♭BC
C majorCDEFGABC

Compare it with C harmonic minor (C D E♭ F G A♭ B). The two scales share the lowered sixth, the leading tone and the augmented second. They differ only in the third degree: E in harmonic major, E♭ in harmonic minor.

Chords built on this scale explain its appeal. The scale contains a C major triad (I), an F minor triad (iv, with A♭) and a G dominant seventh (G-B-D-F), so it fits a I–iv–V–I progression with a minor subdominant, a classic "borrowed chord" color.

Table of all 15 harmonic major scales

Scale12345♭67Difference from the major scale
C harmonic majorCDEFGA♭BA→A♭
G harmonic majorGABCDE♭F♯E→E♭
D harmonic majorDEF♯GAB♭C♯B→B♭
A harmonic majorABC♯DEF♮G♯F♯→F♮
E harmonic majorEF♯G♯ABC♮D♯C♯→C♮
B harmonic majorBC♯D♯EF♯G♮A♯G♯→G♮
F♯ harmonic majorF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♮E♯D♯→D♮
C♯ harmonic majorC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♮B♯A♯→A♮
F harmonic majorFGAB♭CD♭ED→D♭
B♭ harmonic majorB♭CDE♭FG♭AG→G♭
E♭ harmonic majorE♭FGA♭B♭C♭DC→C♭
A♭ harmonic majorA♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭GF→F♭
D♭ harmonic majorD♭E♭FG♭A♭B double flatCB♭→B double flat
G♭ harmonic majorG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E double flatFE♭→E double flat
C♭ harmonic majorC♭D♭E♭F♭G♭A double flatB♭A♭→A double flat

Accidentals written inside the scale

Harmonic major scales with sharps

G harmonic major

G harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: G, A, B, C, D, E♭, F♯, G. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: E♭.

D harmonic major

D harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: D, E, F♯, G, A, B♭, C♯, D. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: B♭.

A harmonic major

A harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: A, B, C♯, D, E, F♮, G♯, A. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: F♮.

E harmonic major

E harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♮, D♯, E. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: C♮.

B harmonic major

B harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♮, A♯, B. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: G♮.

F♯ harmonic major

F♯ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♮, E♯, F♯. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: D♮.

C♯ harmonic major

C♯ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♮, B♯, C♯. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: A♮.

Harmonic major scales with flats

F harmonic major

F harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: F, G, A, B♭, C, D♭, E, F. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: D♭.

B♭ harmonic major

B♭ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G♭, A, B♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: G♭.

E♭ harmonic major

E♭ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C♭, D, E♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: C♭.

A♭ harmonic major

A♭ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, G, A♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: F♭.

D♭ harmonic major

D♭ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B double flat, C, D♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: B double flat.

G♭ harmonic major

G♭ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E double flat, F, G♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: E double flat.

C♭ harmonic major

C♭ harmonic major, with the accidentals written next to each note: C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A double flat, B♭, C♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: A double flat.

Accidentals in the key signature

Harmonic major scales with sharps

G harmonic major

G harmonic major with a key signature of 1 sharp: G, A, B, C, D, E♭, F♯, G. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: E♭.

D harmonic major

D harmonic major with a key signature of 2 sharps: D, E, F♯, G, A, B♭, C♯, D. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: B♭.

A harmonic major

A harmonic major with a key signature of 3 sharps: A, B, C♯, D, E, F♮, G♯, A. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: F♮.

E harmonic major

E harmonic major with a key signature of 4 sharps: E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♮, D♯, E. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: C♮.

B harmonic major

B harmonic major with a key signature of 5 sharps: B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♮, A♯, B. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: G♮.

F♯ harmonic major

F♯ harmonic major with a key signature of 6 sharps: F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♮, E♯, F♯. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: D♮.

C♯ harmonic major

C♯ harmonic major with a key signature of 7 sharps: C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♮, B♯, C♯. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: A♮.

Harmonic major scales with flats

F harmonic major

F harmonic major with a key signature of 1 flat: F, G, A, B♭, C, D♭, E, F. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: D♭.

B♭ harmonic major

B♭ harmonic major with a key signature of 2 flats: B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G♭, A, B♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: G♭.

E♭ harmonic major

E♭ harmonic major with a key signature of 3 flats: E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C♭, D, E♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: C♭.

A♭ harmonic major

A♭ harmonic major with a key signature of 4 flats: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F♭, G, A♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: F♭.

D♭ harmonic major

D♭ harmonic major with a key signature of 5 flats: D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B double flat, C, D♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: B double flat.

G♭ harmonic major

G♭ harmonic major with a key signature of 6 flats: G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E double flat, F, G♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: E double flat.

C♭ harmonic major

C♭ harmonic major with a key signature of 7 flats: C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A double flat, B♭, C♭. In red, the note that changes from the natural major scale: A double flat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the harmonic major scale?
The harmonic major scale is a variant of the major scale in which the sixth degree is lowered a half step. This gives it a special color that clearly sets it apart from the natural major scale, and an augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees.
How does the harmonic major scale differ from the natural major scale?
The only difference is the sixth degree, which is lowered a half step. For example, C major has A natural, while C harmonic major has A♭.
How does harmonic major differ from the Mixolydian scale?
The Mixolydian scale lowers only the seventh degree, while harmonic major lowers only the sixth. Mixolydian has no leading tone and sounds more modal. Harmonic major keeps the leading tone and has an augmented second between degrees 6 and 7, which gives it a darker, more exotic color. Both share the tonic and the other degrees with the natural major scale.
What are the notes of C harmonic major?
C harmonic major has the notes C-D-E-F-G-A♭-B. The only difference from C major is the A♭ in the sixth degree (C major has A).
Is harmonic major the same as harmonic minor?
No. They share the lowered sixth, the leading tone and the augmented second, but harmonic major has a major third (C D E ...) and harmonic minor has a minor third (C D E♭ ...), so one sounds major and the other minor.
Why is it called "mixed main" in Spanish conservatories?
Spanish conservatory teaching calls it "mixta principal" to tell it apart from the Mixolydian scale (lowered 7th) and from the "mixta secundaria", or melodic major scale (lowered 6th and 7th). The name shows that only one degree, the sixth, is altered, whereas the secondary one alters two.