Harmonic Minor vs Melodic Minor on Piano
The C harmonic minor and the C melodic minor share 6 notes — C, D, Eb, F, G, B. From there, the C harmonic minor adds Ab, while the C melodic minor adds A.
Piano, C3 to C5. Notes in this scale, low to high: C3 (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), D3 (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), Eb3 (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), F3 (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), G3 (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), Ab3 (flat 6), A3 (6), B3 (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), C4 (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor), D4 (2 of C Harmonic Minor and 2 of C Melodic Minor), Eb4 (flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor and flat 3 of C Melodic Minor), F4 (4 of C Harmonic Minor and 4 of C Melodic Minor), G4 (5 of C Harmonic Minor and 5 of C Melodic Minor), Ab4 (flat 6), A4 (6), B4 (7 of C Harmonic Minor and 7 of C Melodic Minor), C5 (root of C Harmonic Minor and root of C Melodic Minor).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
Both scales above are drawn on one piano keyboard in the key of C. Notes belonging to both are drawn as a split two-color dot, so the notes they share and the notes unique to each are visible in one picture.
How the formulas differ
Scale degrees are the key-independent way to compare two scales — these stay the same in every key, and they are what actually distinguishes one scale from another.
| Scale | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Harmonic Minor | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · 7 |
| Melodic Minor | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Harmonic Minor | In Melodic Minor |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| D | 2 | 2 |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| F | 4 | 4 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| B | 7 | 7 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the harmonic minor: Ab (b6)
- Only in the melodic minor: A (6)