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F Natural Minor vs F Harmonic Minor

F harmonic minor is F natural minor with a raised 7th: Eb becomes E. Both drawn on one guitar neck.

F Natural Minor and F Harmonic Minor on one guitar fretboard, the shared notes and the differences marked13578910121415eBGDAEEFGAbBbCDbEbEFGCDbEbEFGAbBbCDbGAbBbCDbEbEFGAbBbEbEFGAbBbCDbEbEFBbCDbEbEFGAbBbCEFGAbBbCDbEbEFG

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

F harmonic minor is F natural minor with a raised 7th: Eb becomes E.

F natural minor vs F harmonic minor: what is different

They share six notes and differ in one:

Shared by both: F G Ab Bb C Db.

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

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

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

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