F# Harmonic Minor Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
F# Harmonic Minor in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The F# Harmonic Minor scale is a variation of the minor scale that introduces a strong leading tone. On Guitar, the notes are F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, F. It has a distinctive exotic or Middle Eastern flavor due to the wide gap between its upper notes, and is used to provide the harmonic tension necessary for classical minor-key resolutions. It is a staple in neo-classical metal and flamenco. The diatonic chords of F# Harmonic Minor are F#mMaj7, G#m7b5, A+maj7, Bm7, C#7, Dmaj7, Fo7. Commonly used in Metal, Classical, Flamenco, Film Scores, Neoclassical. Notable players include Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Johann Sebastian Bach. Use over m(Maj7), m7, dim7 chords. Essential for creating V7 → i resolutions in minor keys. The raised 7th provides the leading tone that natural minor lacks.
Notes: F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, F
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Formula: W-H-W-W-H-WH-H
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Diatonic Chords
F♯mMaj7 — G♯m7♭5 — A+maj7 — Bm7 — C♯7 — Dmaj7 — Fo7
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
Musical Character
The augmented 2nd interval between the b6 and natural 7 creates an exotic 'Middle Eastern' leap that is both the scale's signature sound and its main challenge for smooth phrasing.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- i – VII – VI – V (Andalusian Cadence)World / Flamenco — Tension & Drama