The A harmonic minor scale on piano: G sharp and the natural sign

After this lesson you can play the A harmonic minor scale with G♯, and read sharps, naturals and a C♯ passing note on the staff.

The A natural minor scale uses only white keys, and it has a soft, slightly old-fashioned sound. But listen to the top of it: G up to A. It is a whole step, and it feels relaxed, almost as though the scale could stop on G. Composers often wanted something stronger, a note that really pulls towards home. Their answer was to raise G by a half step to G sharp. The result is the harmonic minor scale, and it is the sound of a great deal of minor-key music.

G sharp: the leaning note

G sharp is the black key just to the right of G. In the group of three black keys it is the middle one. From G sharp to A is only a half step, so G sharp sits right up against A and seems to lean into it, wanting to resolve.

G sharp is just right of G, a half step below A. C sharp is just right of C, between C and D

That half step below the home note is exactly what makes C major's B to C, or G major's F sharp to G, sound so final. Raising G gives A minor the same strong pull home, while the rest of the scale keeps its minor colour.

The A harmonic minor scale

The harmonic minor is the natural minor with just one change: the seventh note is raised.

Natural minor: A B C D E F G A
Harmonic minor: A B C D E F G♯ A

Between F and G sharp there is now a gap of three half steps, wider than any other step in the scale. It gives harmonic minor its slightly exotic, dramatic flavour. Listen for it.

A harmonic minor in the left hand, up and down: G sharp each time, with the same fingering as the natural minor

The fingering is the same as for A natural minor: 5 4 3 2 1, then finger 3 crosses over onto F, with finger 2 on G sharp. Let the hand move slightly forward into the keys so finger 2 lands comfortably on the black key.

Sharps and naturals within a bar

A minor has no key signature, so the composer has to write a sharp in front of each G sharp. This brings in a new rule about how long such signs last.

A sharp written in front of a note lasts until the end of that bar. If the same note appears again later in the bar, it is still sharp, even without a second sign. When the bar line comes, the sharp is forgotten, and the note goes back to normal.

What if the composer wants a plain G later in the same bar? They write a natural sign (♮) in front of it. A natural cancels a sharp or flat: play the plain white key again. Naturals are also often printed as friendly reminders in the next bar, even though the bar line has already cancelled the sharp.

Inside one bar a natural sign cancels the sharp: the second G is the plain white key

G sharp leaning into A in the first bar. In the second bar the sharp no longer applies, so the G is a plain white key

Greensleeves: both kinds of G

The old English tune Greensleeves is in A minor, and it uses both G and G sharp, which makes it a perfect example. In the second half of its opening, G natural walks up to B, and a moment later G sharp leans up into A.

The second line of Greensleeves in A minor: a plain G in the first bar, then G sharp twice, leaning into A and then down to E

You will also notice dotted quarter notes here, giving the tune its lilting long-short rhythm in three time. There is a full easy version on the Greensleeves song page.

C sharp as a passing note

Sometimes a sharp appears for just a moment, as a passing note sliding between two neighbours. C, C sharp, D is a smooth chromatic slide of two half steps. In A minor, C sharp is not part of the scale; it simply connects C and D.

C sharp as a passing note between C and D, then the tune settles back down to A

How to practise

Find the black keys. Play every G sharp and every C sharp on the keyboard. G sharp is the middle of the three; C sharp is the first of the two.
Natural, then harmonic. Play A natural minor with the left hand, then A harmonic minor. Listen for the change at the top.
The leaning note. Play G sharp and resolve it to A, slowly, several times. Let G sharp be slightly softer than the A it leads to.
Right hand from E. Try E F G♯ A B C D E and back with the right hand, thumb under after G sharp. This shape appears in many minor pieces.
Read the signs. In any piece in A minor, circle mentally every sharp and every natural before you play. Remember a sharp lasts to the bar line.
Play Greensleeves, watching for which G is which.

Common mistakes

Missing the second G sharp in a bar. The sharp applies to every G after it in that bar, even without its own sign.
Playing G sharp in the natural minor. Natural minor is all white keys; only harmonic minor has G sharp.
A bump on the wide step. F to G sharp is a big stretch for a scale step. Keep it smooth and in time.

Try it in Pianuvo

The Academy lesson has you find G sharp and C sharp, play the harmonic minor scale with each hand and then play Greensleeves over a waltz accompaniment. Every step listens and scores you as you play, whether on the on-screen keys, a MIDI keyboard, or an acoustic piano through the microphone. It is in Unit 8: Minor keys and a Baroque minuet.