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Harmonic Minor Scale Basics
by Christopher Sung

One of the great things about the harmonic minor scale is that it contains the V7b9 arpeggio inside of it. The V7b9-I cadence is a very strong harmonic movement and is very characteristic of baroque and classical music. So, if we're using the A harmonic minor scale, then it's related V chord is E7, and the notes for an E7b9 arpeggio (F, G#, B, D) are located inside.

What does this mean? Well, you can imply the V7b9-I cadence using only notes from the harmonic scale. In the example below, we play our A minor arpeggio in measure 1, our E7b9 arpeggio in mms. 2-3, and then alternate between the 2 every half measure in mms. 4-7. Note how strong the tonality is. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the main keys to unlocking the potential of the harmonic minor scale...

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