Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic
G Harmonic Major Scale
The major scale with a lowered 6th, also called Ionian ♭6. Its augmented 2nd between ♭6 and 7 gives it a harmonic-minor colour.
Tap any note to hear it.
G Harmonic Major Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------3-5-7-| B|-------------------------4-7-------| G|-------------------4-5-7-----------| D|-------------4-5-7-----------------| A|-------3-5-6-----------------------| E|-3-5-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------7-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-8-----------| D|-------------5-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-6-9-----------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------7-8-10-11-| B|------------------------------8-10-----------| G|-----------------------7-8-11----------------| D|----------------7-9-10-----------------------| A|-----------9-10------------------------------| E|-7-8-10-11-----------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------11-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-11-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-15-| B|----------------------------------13-15-16-------| G|-------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|----------------12-13-16-------------------------| A|-------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Harmonic Major on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 3–7. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | G |
| 2 | A |
| 3 | B |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | D |
| ♭6 | Eb |
| 7 | F# |
Chords in G Harmonic Major
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Harmonic Major; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | G | Gmaj7 | Tonic |
| ii° | Adim | Am7b5 | Supertonic |
| iii | Bm | Bm7 | Mediant |
| iv | Cm | Cm(maj7) | Subdominant |
| V | D | D7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI+ | Ebaug | Ebmaj7#5 | Submediant |
| vii° | F#dim | F#dim7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise G Harmonic Major anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
Free
- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
- A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
- A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
- No subscription, ads removed
Questions
- What notes are in the G Harmonic Major Scale?
- The G Harmonic Major Scale has 7 notes: G, A, B, C, D, Eb, F#.
- What chords are in the G Harmonic Major Scale?
- The chords of G Harmonic Major are G (I), Adim (ii°), Bm (iii), Cm (iv), D (V), Ebaug (♭VI+), F#dim (vii°).
- What is the formula of the harmonic major scale?
- 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 7, which is the step pattern W W H W H W+H H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play G Harmonic Major on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.