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Step 1
Examine the major scale. It has seven notes in each octave with the intervals W, W, H, W, W, W and H where W is a whole tone and H is a half tone.
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Step 2
Begin the natural minor scale on the sixth note of the major scale. It therefore has intervals of W, H, W, W, H, W and W with the key of A consisting of the following notes: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Notice that these are the same notes in the C major scale. The natural minor scale also is called the Aeolian mode.
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Step 3
Observe the shortcoming of this scale when used for harmonizing. A harmonizing chord on the dominant (fifth) note is almost always a major triad with intervals of four and seven. Beginning with the fifth note (E) of the scale in Step 2, we see that four steps up (Ab) is between the seventh note (G) and the octave (A).
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Step 4
Modify the natural minor scale to the harmonic minor scale by raising the seventh note a half-step. In the key of A we now have A, B, C, D, E, F and Ab. The interval of three half-steps between the sixth and seventh notes is what makes this scale awkward for melodies in Western music.
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Step 5
Play the harmonic minor scale in A as follows: 6-5-I, 6-7-R, 6-8-P, 5-5-I, 5-7-R, 5-8-P, 4-6-M, 4-7-P, 3-4-I, 3-5-M, 3-7-P, 2-5-M, 2-6-R, 1-4-I and 1-5-I. The first digit in this notation is the string (6 being the lowest), the second digit is the fret and the letter provides the fretting finger. The first note in our example is 6-5-I: The index finger frets the sixth string at the fifth fret.
