THE HARMONIC MAJOR SCALE

The harmonic major scale is a bit of a rarity, but a useful scale to have up your
sleeve. Find out more. Read on.
 THE HARMONIC MAJOR SCALE

The harmonic major scale is not very well-known but is very interesting because it has a
slightly exotic feel to it, even though it is quite simple. Think of the first four notes of
the major scale and the last four notes of the harmonic minor scale and you have it, voila:

C harmonic major scale (C H or C Harm)

F F F F F
: F F F

As it is very rare, it is advisable to spell out the notes to anyone who has not come across
it before.

The four-note chords which can be built on it are as follows:

F FFF FF FF
F FFF FFF FFF FF FF
: FFF F F F
Cv Dz Em7 Fmv G7 Abv(+5) Bo
Ninths which are drawn from the scale can be added to most of them, except the Bo - but
check how ninths added to the Em7 and Abv(+5) sound in the context.

These chords can be used in arpeggio form as part of a solo-line, together with their
inversions.

The chords also show which chords will fit this scale, or the other way around - which
scales will go against these chords. It is helpful to make generalisations from this.
For example, against an Abv(+5) you can use the C harmonic major scale, could be
generalised by saying that for a major chord with a sharpened fifth you can use a
harmonic major scale a major third above the root of the chord. This is a bit of a
mouthful but you do need to know what the scale is, what the chord is and the interval
between the root notes/starting notes of each.

Here is a tune, the first part of which is based solely on this scale (with the exception of
the F# in the 7th bar which is a lower neighbouring note and sounds better than the F
would do.)

The last section is a bit more frightening, but you only need to know a few other scales to
play over it (see scale/chord chart). I included this section to add variety, knowing that a
bass player would revolt if he had to play mainly root-notes for the entire tune.
 Concert
QANA BROKEN-UP STRAIGHT 8's FEEL

120 Paul Busby

PRS

4 r H H H_ r _ _
H H H H H H H
:4 H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
H
sustained chords Cv
Piano/Guitar
r Fm6 r
4 r r C r r
= 4 G H G H G H G H
Bass

_
_
r H H H H H H H
: G H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
Cv Fo Cv Fo
r C r r C r
= G H G H G H G H

Hr
_ H H H H_ H
: H H H H H H F H H
G
Cv Fo C& r Cv
C r r r r r
= G H G H G H H H H H

H r
r
_ _

: H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H G H
r Fm6 r
C Cv
r r r r r r r r
= H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H
_ _ _
H H H H H H H H H H
: H H { H H H H H
Fo C$ Fo Fm6
C r r r r C r r C r r

= H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

r _
H H F
: H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
Cv Fm6 Cv Fm6 C$
r r C r r r C r r r
= H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
 Qana p.2

_ r _ r _ r
H r H H
_
G 3
H H H
_
H H H H
G
: H H H
{ H H H H
C$ Bb7 Ab7 Fx (E13 (+5) Bv(-5)
- Av(-5)
-

r Ab r Gb E6 Dx r Cx r
r H G H
= H H G H H H H
H {
H H H

H F
H
3 3
H H H H H
3
H H
3

: G H H H H H
Cv Bb
Bv(+5) Fxv(-5)
- Ev Dv Bv (Dx _)
H Ax Gx E 3 H
Fx
H G H
= G H G G
3
H
G G

G r r G
H r H
_
24 H H 44 F
: H H H H
Bbm Cb Db Eb Dbv(+5) G7(b9-5)
r H B
G A
H H G
H G H H
G 24 H H 44 G H H
= { { G
Solos - as in tune (25 bars = 1st section)
or play 16 bars on C harmonic major scale, using sequence YC | Z | Fm or Fo | Z y played 4 times
C harmonic major scale; (C D E F G Ab B C)
C last time
F G
:Y play 1st time only and for ending
etc
then:
Bb7 Ab7 Fx Bv(-5)
- Av(-5)
-
Ab Gb E6 Dx Cx Bv(+5)

Gbv Ev Dv Cv Bb
Bb Gx Fx E Bv (Dx _) r

Bbm B Db Eb
B A G F Dbv(+5) G7(b9-5)
- y
Alternatively, you could just play open-ended on the C harmonic major scale and ignore the second section.
SCALE
CHORD
QANA Concert pitch
C H (C harmonic major)
Y Cv Z Fm6 (C _) Z

Cv Fo (C _) Cv Fo (C _)

Cv Fo(C _) Cv Z

Cv Z Fm6 (C _) Z

Cv Fo (C _) C$ Fo (C _)

Fm6 (C _) Cv Fm6 (C _) Cv Fm6 (C _)

Eb Db B
C$ Z Bb7 (Ab _) Ab7( Gb _) E6

Fx E Gxm Db B
Bv (Dx _) Av (Cx _) Bv(+5) Gbv (Bb _) Ev (Gx _)

A G EbmH
Dv( Fx _) Cv (E _) Bv (Dx _) Z

Fx Ab Bbm
y
E Abm Abm
Bv(+11) B7 (A _) G7 F7$ Dbv(+5) G7
 QANA
Piano This is part of the piano part of the arrangement in the 4 horn section STRAIGHT 8's
Paul Busby
(Rhodes if possible)
120
to show piano voicings
r PRS r
q
4 I O O I
4 10

:4 Cv Fm6
C
r r r
O O I O I O I
: Cv Fo C$
C
r r r r
O I O I O I O I
: Fo Fm6 Cv Fm6
C C C
r r r
O I I I I I O O
: Cv Fm6 C$
C
Bb9 (Ab _) Ab9(Gb _) E69(+11) Bv(Dx _) Av(Cx _) Bv(+5)&x
r r r
r
: HHH HHH HHH HHH FF
F HH HHH HHH H
HH
FF
F
r r
HH HH HH
= {
HH FF HH HH
HH H
H
F
F
{
Bb
Gbv(-5)(Bb _) Fbv(-5(Ab _) Dv9(Fx _) Cv9(E _)
Bv( Dx _)
H
3G
GG F H H
: GG GG G FF
G G
_
GG GG r H H
G
= G
G GG GGG GG
G
HH
H
{
Bb Cv Db *
A&E F7$ G7(b9-5)

B & Fx
r
G&D
r
Dbv(+5)
Q
24 H HH 44 FFF GGG
: HHH HHH HHH HHH HH H F G
r r
HH HH HH 24 H H 44 G GG
= HH H H FF G
8vb