Harmonic major scale

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In music, the harmonic major scale is a musical scale which found occasional use during the common practice era and is now often employed, in particular in jazz.

It may be considered as a major scale with the sixth degree flattened, or the harmonic minor scale with the third degree sharpened. It is also a mode of the inversion of the harmonic minor scale.

For example, an A major scale consists of the notes: A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯; whereas an A harmonic major scale consists of the notes: A B C♯ D E F G♯. Notice the sixth note in the sequence is flattened, from F♯ to F. The A harmonic major scale can also be obtained from the A harmonic minor scale, which is A B C D E F G♯, by sharpening the C to C♯.

The harmonic major scale may be used in any system of meantone tuning, such as 19 equal temperament or 31 equal temperament, as well as 12 equal temperament. The musical effect of the harmonic major scale is a sound intermediate between harmonic minor and diatonic major, and partaking of both.

The harmonic major scale is one of the five proper seven-note scales of equal temperament, and while less often used than the diatonic major, diatonic (or natural) minor, harmonic minor or ascending minor scales, belongs to the same family and can be regarded as a natural member of the diatonic system of scales. Like those other scales, it has a complete circle of thirds; starting from the tonic the pattern is MmmmMMm, where M is a major third and m is a minor third.