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C Natural Minor vs C Harmonic Minor

C harmonic minor is C natural minor with a raised 7th: Bb becomes B. Both drawn on one guitar neck.

C Natural Minor and C Harmonic Minor on one guitar fretboard, the shared notes and the differences marked13578910121415eBGDAEFGAbBbBCDEbFGBCDEbFGAbBbBCDGAbBbBCDEbFGAbBbDEbFGAbBbBCDEbFBbBCDEbFGAbBbBCFGAbBbBCDEbFG

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

C harmonic minor is C natural minor with a raised 7th: Bb becomes B.

C natural minor vs C harmonic minor: what is different

They share six notes and differ in one:

Shared by both: C D Eb F G Ab.

When to use which

Play both over the same chord and listen to the notes that differ. Whichever sounds right for the song is the answer; the names matter less than the ear. As a rule, the scale with the raised note sounds brighter or more tense, and the one with the lowered note sounds darker or more settled.

Hear the difference

C Natural Minor
C   D   Eb   F   G   Ab   Bb
C Harmonic Minor
C   D   Eb   F   G   Ab   B
Shared notes
C   D   Eb   F   G   Ab
Only in Natural Minor
Bb (b7)
Only in Harmonic Minor
B (7)
Compare these two on the interactive neck →

Free, no account needed. Change the key and both scales follow.

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