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Lesson 1 of 4

Harmonic minor

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Harmonic minor is the natural minor scale with a raised seventh. In A harmonic minor that's A B C D E F G#. The jump from F to G# (an augmented second) gives the dark, exotic sound of neoclassical metal.

Fingering

Stay at the 5th position. Index on fret 5, middle on 6, ring on 7, pinky on 8; reach to fret 9 with the pinky on the B string. For exercise 3, move up to the 7th position: index on fret 7 and middle on 8 for the high e, ring on the G string at fret 9, pinky on the B string at fret 9 or 10.

  1. One octave up from A on the low E string and back down. The G# (6th fret on the D string) under your middle finger is the note to listen for.
  2. A sixteenth-note lick on the top two strings. The jump from the 6th to the 9th fret on the B string is the F to G# step. Resolve to A with vibrato.
  3. Triplet arpeggios around the 7th fret: E major (E G# B), then A minor (E A C). E major is the V chord of A minor, and the G# pulling up to A is the strongest resolution in the scale.

Use alternate picking throughout. It should sound dramatic and classical, with a clear pull back to A.

Most common mistake: playing G instead of G#, out of pentatonic habit. Say the note names aloud the first few times.

Practice exercise 1 until it's automatic, then the lick and arpeggios.

Exercises

A harmonic minor, one octave

70 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 5
    2. low E string, fret 7
    3. low E string, fret 8
    4. A string, fret 5
    5. A string, fret 7
    6. A string, fret 8
    7. D string, fret 6
    8. D string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. D string, fret 7
    2. D string, fret 6
    3. A string, fret 8
    4. A string, fret 7
    5. A string, fret 5
    6. low E string, fret 8
    7. low E string, fret 7
    8. low E string, fret 5

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Lick with the augmented second

50 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. high E string, fret 8
    2. high E string, fret 7
    3. high E string, fret 5
    4. B string, fret 9
    5. high E string, fret 5
    6. high E string, fret 7
    7. high E string, fret 8
    8. high E string, fret 7
    9. high E string, fret 5
    10. B string, fret 9
    11. B string, fret 6
    12. B string, fret 9
    13. high E string, fret 5, vibrato, vibrato, vibrato

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

E major to A minor arpeggios

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. G string, fret 9
    2. B string, fret 9
    3. high E string, fret 7
    4. B string, fret 9
    5. G string, fret 9
    6. B string, fret 9
    7. high E string, fret 7
    8. B string, fret 9
    9. G string, fret 9
    10. B string, fret 9
    11. high E string, fret 7
    12. B string, fret 9
  2. Bar 2
    1. G string, fret 9
    2. B string, fret 10
    3. high E string, fret 8
    4. B string, fret 10
    5. G string, fret 9
    6. B string, fret 10
    7. high E string, fret 8
    8. B string, fret 10, vibrato, vibrato, vibrato, vibrato

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Name every note of the A harmonic minor scale as you play it
  • Lick clean at 100 bpm (sixteenths), with the F to G# jump on the B string in tune
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