# Harmonic vs Melodic Minor: Spell the Scales and Check Your Answers

*2026-10-12*

F harmonic minor needs E natural. G♯ harmonic minor needs F double-sharp. Both follow the same instruction: raise natural minor's seventh degree one semitone. The required accidental depends on where that degree starts.

**Harmonic minor raises degree 7. Conventional melodic minor raises degrees 6 and 7 ascending, then restores their natural-minor pitches descending.** The spelling depends on the starting note.

This lesson uses Western note names and the conventional classical scale-exercise form. Try the repair quiz without the tables.

![A route setter adjusts a terracotta climbing hold beside its partner, above a sequence of slate-blue holds](/blog/harmonic-vs-melodic-minor.png)

## Change the named degrees from natural minor

Number the seven different notes 1–7 from the **tonic**, the home note. The tables label the octave tonic 8; it is still degree 1. Keep degree numbers fixed descending: degree 7 stays immediately below the top tonic.

| Form | Ascending | Descending |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Natural minor | Use natural-minor notes. | Reverse the same notes. |
| Harmonic minor | Raise 7 one semitone. | Keep raised 7. |
| Melodic minor, conventional classical exercise | Raise 6 and 7 one semitone each. | Restore natural-minor 6 and 7. |

[Open Music Theory describes these minor-scale forms](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/minor-scales/). A **semitone**, or half step, is the distance to the next piano key, including black keys; a whole step is two semitones.

The key signature supplies natural minor. Harmonic and melodic changes appear as accidentals without changing that signature; see the [minor-key-signature lesson](https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/MinorKeySignatures.html). To find your starting signature, use [relative vs parallel minor](/blog/relative-vs-parallel-minor/).

## Raising a pitch doesn't always add a sharp

Keep the letter and move one semitone upward:

| Starting note | Raised one semitone |
| --- | --- |
| E♭ | E♮ |
| E♮ | E♯ |
| F♯ | F𝄪 |

**♮** means natural. **𝄪** means double-sharp: two semitones above the natural note, so one above its sharp version. See the [accidental definitions](https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/Accidentals.html).

These note lists show every pitch explicitly: E without an accidental means E natural. On a staff with E♭ in the signature, you'd write E♮ to cancel it.

Write consecutive letters before choosing accidentals. F needs **F–G–A–B–C–D–E–F**; G♯ needs **G–A–B–C–D–E–F–G**. Use each letter once before repeating the tonic.

## F minor: flats become naturals

F minor's signature contains B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. A dash below means unchanged from natural minor.

| Degree | Natural minor | Harmonic change | Melodic ascending change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | F | — | — |
| 2 | G | — | — |
| 3 | A♭ | — | — |
| 4 | B♭ | — | — |
| 5 | C | — | — |
| 6 | D♭ | — | D♭ → D♮ |
| 7 | E♭ | E♭ → E♮ | E♭ → E♮ |
| 8 | F | — | — |

The ascending scales are:

- **Natural:** F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D♭–E♭–F.
- **Harmonic:** F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D♭–E–F.
- **Melodic:** F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D–E–F.

E♭ → E♯ would raise the pitch **two** semitones: E♭ → E → E♯. Raising D♭ likewise gives D natural, not D♯.

Harmonic minor descending keeps E natural: **F–E–D♭–C–B♭–A♭–G–F**.

Conventional melodic minor descending restores E♭ and D♭: **F–E♭–D♭–C–B♭–A♭–G–F**. Restoring natural minor means bringing back its flats, not removing every accidental.

## G♯ minor: one sharp needs another semitone

G♯ minor's signature contains F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯.

| Degree | Natural minor | Harmonic change | Melodic ascending change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | G♯ | — | — |
| 2 | A♯ | — | — |
| 3 | B | — | — |
| 4 | C♯ | — | — |
| 5 | D♯ | — | — |
| 6 | E | — | E → E♯ |
| 7 | F♯ | F♯ → F𝄪 | F♯ → F𝄪 |
| 8 | G♯ | — | — |

The ascending scales are:

- **Natural:** G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E–F♯–G♯.
- **Harmonic:** G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E–F𝄪–G♯.
- **Melodic:** G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯–E♯–F𝄪–G♯.

F𝄪 shares a key with G natural on an equal-tempered piano. Substituting G would produce **…E–G–G♯**, repeating the G letter and omitting F. The two G notes have different pitches; the error is their degree spelling.

Harmonic descent is **G♯–F𝄪–E–D♯–C♯–B–A♯–G♯**. Conventional melodic descent is **G♯–F♯–E–D♯–C♯–B–A♯–G♯**. Restoring degree 7 removes the extra semitone: F𝄪 returns to F♯, still sharp under the signature.

## Check the distances too

These patterns count semitones between neighboring notes **ascending**, not from the tonic:

| Form | Semitone gaps |
| --- | --- |
| Natural minor | 2–1–2–2–1–2–2 |
| Harmonic minor | 2–1–2–2–1–3–1 |
| Melodic minor ascending | 2–1–2–2–2–2–1 |

In F harmonic minor, **D♭–E** spans three semitones: D♭ → D → E♭ → E. D–E makes it a second by letters; three semitones makes it an **augmented second**. [Open Music Theory distinguishes interval size from quality](https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/intervals/).

Raising degree 6 changes **C–D♭–E–F** (gaps 1–3–1) to **C–D–E–F** (2–2–1), removing that augmented second. E remains the **leading tone**, one semitone below F.

There's a chord consequence too. F natural minor's degree-5 triad is **C–E♭–G**, C minor. Raising E♭ gives **C–E–G**, C major. This major **V**, built on degree 5, can move to minor **i**, the tonic chord **F–A♭–C**. The [minor-key chord lesson](https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/DiatonicChordsInMinor.html) shows the altered-degree effect; [triad chord spelling](/blog/triad-chord-spelling/) covers construction.

## State the descending convention

The classical exercise changes melodic minor on descent. It doesn't tell you to replace notes in every descending phrase: read the score's actual accidentals and context.

**Jazz melodic minor** uses the raised-sixth-and-seventh collection in both directions. [MuseScore distinguishes these conventions](https://musescore.com/articles/materials/scales-keys/melodic-minor-scale). This doesn't require every jazz melody to use those notes. Specify the convention on flashcards; all questions below use the conventional classical form.

## Minor scale practice: construct and repair

Cover the answers. Write the letters, fill in natural minor, then apply the rule for the requested form and direction. Include every needed accidental and the repeated tonic. Explain each repair.

| # | Task |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | Spell D harmonic minor ascending. |
| 2 | Spell B♭ melodic minor ascending. |
| 3 | Spell C melodic minor descending. |
| 4 | Repair F harmonic minor descending: F–E♭–D♭–C–B♭–A♭–G–F. |
| 5 | Repair E harmonic minor: E–F♯–G–A–B–C–E♭–E. Would piano pitches alone expose the error? |
| 6 | Someone keeps F♯ as G♯ harmonic minor's seventh because “it's already sharp.” Correct it. |
| 7 | F melodic minor ascending contains D and E natural. Does its signature lose D♭ and E♭? |
| 8 | D♯ natural minor is D♯–E♯–F♯–G♯–A♯–B–C♯–D♯. Construct harmonic minor; name the interval from 6 to 7. |

### Answers and reasons

1. **D–E–F–G–A–B♭–C♯–D.** Raise natural minor's C to C♯; keep degree 6 as B♭.
2. **B♭–C–D♭–E♭–F–G–A–B♭.** Raise natural minor's G♭ and A♭ to G and A. Keep the minor third D♭.
3. **C–B♭–A♭–G–F–E♭–D–C.** Restore natural-minor degrees 7 and 6, B♭ and A♭.
4. **F–E–D♭–C–B♭–A♭–G–F.** Harmonic minor keeps E natural descending. The supplied line was natural minor.
5. **E–F♯–G–A–B–C–D♯–E.** Degree 7 needs D. E♭ shares D♯'s piano key in equal temperament, so pitches alone wouldn't expose the error: omitted D and repeated E.
6. **F𝄪.** Raise F♯ one further semitone. F𝄪 is one semitone below G♯; F♯ is two below it.
7. **No. Keep B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ in the signature.** D♮ and E♮ are ascending alterations; conventional descent restores D♭ and E♭.
8. **D♯–E♯–F♯–G♯–A♯–B–C𝄪–D♯; augmented second.** Raise C♯ to C𝄪. B–C is a second; B → C → C♯ → C𝄪 spans three semitones. D natural would use the wrong letter.

## Make a card for the missed step

| Miss | Prompt | Answer to require |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Added a sharp automatically | Raise E♭ one semitone. | E natural; E♯ is two semitones above E♭. |
| Stopped at an existing sharp | G♯ harmonic minor: change degree 7. | F♯ → F𝄪. |
| Lowered harmonic minor descending | F harmonic minor descending: E or E♭? | E; retain raised 7. |
| Removed every accidental descending | Conventional G♯ melodic descent: restore 7 and 6. | F♯ and E. |
| Accepted the wrong letter | Repair E harmonic minor's ending C–E♭–E. | C–D♯–E; seventh needs D. |

Write these on paper or put them in Nibomo. The [music theory flashcards guide](/blog/music-theory-flashcards/) covers the wider routine. After a missed rule, construct a fresh scale without the table; explain degrees, letters, and pitch changes before checking.

## Take the comparison to your instrument

Play the three F-minor ascending forms slowly, reading the notes. Isolate **C–D♭–E–F** and **C–D–E–F**; hear the changed middle gap. Compare melodic descent **F–E♭–D♭–C** with harmonic descent **F–E–D♭–C**.

If you play triads, compare **C–E♭–G → F–A♭–C** with **C–E–G → F–A♭–C**. Listen to the approach to F after changing that single E.

Then mark degrees 6 and 7 in a short minor-key passage from your current music. Read its actual accidentals and play or listen to it. Use cards to check spelling, then practice reading and hearing those changes inside a continuous passage.

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