Scales of the World
The Harmonic Minor scale differs from the Natural Minor scale in that the seventh note is sharpened.
This scale has a spooky and Mideval, even Middle Eastern sound depending on the context.
Notice that the first six notes of the scale are identical to the natural minor scale, however the surprise and the charm of this scale is the wonderful step and a half gap, rarely found in western scales.
This scale was used extensively by the famous daredevil violinist and composer Nicolo Paganini. (1782-1840)
Paganini brought an unprecedented level of technical prowess and accomplishment to the violin and influenced subsequent composers to conceive more intricate and demanding compositions.
Roll over Paganini’s image to hear a passage from his Caprice #16 which utilizes the harmonic minor scale in G.
