Songs that use the Harmonic Minor scale
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- The harmonic minor scale is one of the three main minor scales. Its greatest quality is that it allows us to write functional harmony, even though we're not in the major key anymore! The harmonic minor may only be one note different than the natural minor (also known as the 'aeolian mode') but that raised 7th note makes all the difference to how this scale sounds and how it can be used in practice.
An extra special thanks goes to Vidad Flowers, Daniel Long, Bruce Mount, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
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📍NOTE: Many people have commented that at 1:15 I call the interval between the 6th and 7th degree of Harmonic minor a “minor third” rather than an “Aug 2nd”. I understand why strictly speaking “Aug 2nd” is the correct name for that interval however, I thought using that name would unnecessarily add confusion for people who aren’t familiar with the difference between a ‘minor 3rd’ and a ‘aug 2nd’. That said, perhaps I should have put an on-screen annotation acknowledging the ‘aug 2nd’ at 1:15.
When I first read this comment I got really confused, why is an interval named after August 2nd? Why not November 23rd :-)
As someone with only a smattering of theory I immediately understood that adjacent notes are not usually any kind of third
What I would call the diatonic rule. Second interval between notes with adjacent letters. Like B flat to C sharp in the harmonic scale, hence an augmented second.
I think calling augmented would better illustrate that fact that it is wide
@@PlanetoftheDeaf that was the day the jfk was assassinated nov 23 1963....ok, jfk just fkng kidding
I love how every video has a Radiohead example
Yeah Beatles too
I was about to say the same XD
it's amazing just how often they pop up here
It really helps me since I love all their songs and can hear the parts.
Hopefully I'll be in a list like his just as often some day.
I always think the same thing when I watch videos like this! I hope my music is featured in them one day
Is Billie Eilish still a harmonic minor now that she's 18?
harmonic barely legal
nice one dad
Definitely not a natural minor, with that hair.
👏.This.👏.is.👏.perfection.👏.
Bravo maestro! 🙏👌
This video: very educational
TH-cam: DEMONITIZED
Tell me about it! I'd be better off doing make up tutorials!
@@DavidBennettPiano keep it up man! This kind of content is great.
@@DavidBennettPiano how about singing your make up routine? That was a small trend
Why? How does it work?
@@minacheyo6242 maybe it's because he used music from another person
Muse, Radiohead, The Beatles and Billie Eilish in a single video. This guy gets it.
🙏🙏🙏🎶🎶🎶
Don’t forget he used Bach too!! Awesome!
Muse and three terrible bands/artists?
@@SCHTRAM What? I personally enjoy all these artists. I've heard people dislike Billie Elish and the Beatles, but I've never met anyone who hates Radiohead.
@@SCHTRAM muse and billie eillish are trash. The rest are GREAT
It really isnt David´s Bennett video without Beatles in it.
Agreed!
Mia Nai and Radiohead
@@DavidBennettPiano agreed
...and Radiohead... and Muse. That's why he's one of my favorites.
Thank God ;)
David Bennett: Uses a cover version of a Muse song to avoid copyright
Also David Bennett: Plays the original version of a Beatles song
I thought for sure you were playing "Bad Guy" when you were actually playing "Bury a Friend". Shows how much a functional chord progression can do to our ears.
They are really similar songs! Just different enough though to make it hard to notice on first listening.
When You're Strange by the Doors
That's actually a part borrowed from People Are Strange by The Doors
This is why unfunctional harmony is better.
Stuart Moss ya i iv V progressions are really complex huh
Damn, i still have no clue what you were talking about, but I feel like I appreciate those songs even better now. More power to you,sir.
Thank you!
The main riff to Eminems "The Real Slim Shady" is in harmonic minor
Good example!
Batman vibes
In Stan he uses it at the chord change to sound darker
omg
Ehh...No?İt uses the Tonic,the 5th,the Minor 6th and the Minor 3rd.Thats it could be just as Natural Minor.İm not sure,but i think there is a V Chord in the Chorus,but that recognizable Riff is not Harmonic Minor,cause there is no 7th played.
I love so much this scale. I mean, I dont care what genre might a song be, if it is written in harmonic IS MY FAVORITE.
Who downvotes this?! This channel is a goldmine
😊😊😊😊😊
R/IhaveRedditToo
@@vertiboi8225 r/foundthemobileuser
Bro this is stuff I learned in my first month of my high school music theory elective class. He ain’t some master music theorist
R/whyamievenusingaredditlinkoutsideofreddit
all this time I've been writing music in a Harmonic Minor scale without know that it's not the default version of minor. Thank you for enlightening me
I know absolutely nothing about music but i still love these videos
thanks!
Well if you knew "nothing" you now know "something"!!! :)
You should make a video about songs that end with tension. Things like ending with a harmonic minor, 7th major chord, tritone, or any other chord that supposedly needs resolution.
The leading-tone seventh chords... :)
rain song by led zeppelin is a cool one that has a flat 5 chord in the outro.
me halfway through the vid: That's weird, he hasn't mentioned the Beatles yet
David Bennet Piano: A good example of this is Girl by the Beatles
lmao fr
This is patrick
This channel helps me so much in my own songwriting and explain why some songs sound so great.
thanks!!! this helped me so much with my BTEC music course :)
You’re welcome Freddie!
Can’t forget about Sultans of Swing. Classic song in harmonic minor
What a perfect song. So good!
did u know that they copy the riff of smoke on the water from an old brazilian song?
@@cheirinhodepacoca oh, cool, what song?
@@GMacAttack5 Carlos Lyra - Maria moita (1964)
zeus thanks, I’ll take a look.
It’s fascinating how many classic artists stole things wholesale, like led zeppelin and a number of blues artists, and Elvis and a few black rock and rollers.
You're a brilliant man and teach me a lot! I have a lot to learn! thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Thanks 😃😃
I discovered your channel two weeks ago and I can't tell how much I'm learning just by watching your videos. Thank you so much, David!
Thank you!
The feel you get when letting the chords ring on Bury a Friend. Excellent
You should do a video on how the Beatles used really complicated musical techniques without realising it.
Edit: Not that that takes anything away from them, they were still geniuses and probably the best band ever.
That is actually a video that I've already half written! It will be coming out in the next few months.
@@DavidBennettPiano Ooh yay, thank you!
David Bennett Piano which one?
@@oldbird4601 Not a video that is out, a video that is yet to be made 😉
I think they key to understanding how The Beatles used "Modes" without understanding what modes were is that they simply used chords that were outside of the actual Major/Minor keys and they used notes in those chords. I actually find it easier to think of "modes" in this way myself, I just experiment with different chords and if the melody in those chords work I use them
YESSSS I saw John Lennon on the cover and harmonic minor in the title and I was like oh pls talk about Girls AND THERE IT IS!!! I love that harmonic minor line so so so very much that I played it over and over again on the piano and just enjoyed the goosebumps it gave me. It’s such a surreally beautiful line.
i love how much effort and detail you put into your videos! you always end up making the most informative and well edited videos and i really appreciate it! 😁
Thank you! I really appreciate that 😊
@@DavidBennettPiano i dont know why i still watching your videos, i dont even understand how note works
My piano teacher made me start out with harmonic minor chords when learning the minor scales... but now I’m glad she did because these are so cool!!
Alternative Rock loves harmonic minor (PatD, Fratellis, Franz Ferdinand, Muse, etc.) Great video!
Good examples. Cheers!
When I think of harmonic minor I immediately think of Hysteria by Muse. It practically hits you with a 2x4
a lot of them also cite classical musicians as inspirations, for example Matt Bellamy the singer of muse always talks being inspirited by Rachmaninoff and Bach
"People are strange"-Doors, that,s what i it seeems here.
@Conner Stewart I mean the first two chords are Am to E, sounds fairly harmonic minor to me.
Wow, just wow. I’m a complete novice when it comes to music theory, but you have just helped me reach a critical understanding of how some music is written. I’ve never had the functions of Tonic, sub-dominant & dominant chords in a scale explained to me in such a digestible way. I honestly just play guitar for a hobby but I’m amazed how suddenly, years of trying to understand music theory has just clicked. Thank you so much for your videos. They are an endless source of music knowledge I am slowly piecing together. Honestly, just had a eureka moment 💡
Now I know why Bury a Friends sounds so, brilliant. I knew there was some kind of tension in the chord progression and harmonics but I couldn't figure out why.
Now I know why I love all of the songs that you gave here as examples of using the Harmonic Minor.
Unless I missed something, it's interesting that most of the examples (safe for the final guitar note in Plug-in Baby) tend to approach the harmonic minor as a semitone "dip" from the root, instead of approaching the root from below to accentuate the three semitone jump.
'Girl' approaches it from below, but I do see what you mean. Resolving up from the 7th note to the 8th note is so satisfying a resolution that I guess that is why it appears in melodies so often
When approached from below, the sixth degree of the scale is traditionally raised as well to prevent the awkward leap of an augmented second. I think the distinction between harmonic, melodic, and natural minor is somewhat misleading. Classical composers would have regarded it as simply “minor” with alterations added to the sixth and seventh degrees as needed to produce a dominant cadence.
I like how the intro in Plug in baby (the main riff) breaks the harmonic minor scale when it bends on that G# note to an A natural, which both aren't in harmonic minor, but are in Dorian.
@@LoganAlbright73 Could always approach it from as far below as the dominant. At least to me, that's one of the most beautiful scale constellations I've ever heard, and that augmented second is its fundamental pillar.
@@LoganAlbright73 this. There is only one minor mode.
Loved that mate!! Stay strong
I really appreciate your efforts, thanks for visually representing everything you say, it makes everything simpler and more understandable.
thanks! It takes a long time to put together so I'm glad that it is worth it!
I just want to give you the credit you deserve to get. It's amazing how you make the video's and explain it so good. Also the things I learn from this channel are amazing! Keep it going my friend!
That really means a lot! Thank you. 🙂🙂
First time, long time. Each example supports your teaching objective enhancing understanding. I look forward to future posts. Thank you.
Thanks!
Thanks for all you videos... I love that you talk of flavour or emotion and not rant about a double sharp is not the same as a double flat. Brilliant for my middle school students to wrap their heads around scales as an emotional or flavourful 😉 concept rather than a theoretical construct.
For Muse, it’s easier to list their songs which *don’t* use harmonic minor. Most of the songs on Simulation Theory feature it in one form or another. Break It to Me and The Dark Side both use Phrygian dominant, the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale.
there’s always a radiohead example and i absolutely love you for this
every one of his videos have got one...
i mostly just come for the radiohead examples too
It ain’t a David Bennett video without either Radiohead or the Beatles! I still don’t understand most of this stuff cause I know absolutely nothing about music theory, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Scout ²³
I’ve got a music degree. Music theory came easy to me in college but was always boring. David does a great job making it relevant.
Samee
@@Ohgreatcj. so what jobs does a music degree get? Do you just sell music?
Gammer Games
I’m a music teacher at a public school. Most people around me either teach and/or play gigs on the weekends. Honestly, you don’t even need the degree to play gigs. Just experience will do. The music degree is practically worthless unless all you want to do is teach.
@@Ohgreatcj. ok
I love harmonic minor. Definitely my favourite!
Still, confused about the difference between the minor scales? Here is a different perspective on the same topic: th-cam.com/video/pIENvxr7i1A/w-d-xo.html
It’s always a pleasure to listen to your informative videos, sir. Always straight to the point and interesting, with clever examples. Bravo!
🙏 thank you
Deep Purple's Jon Lord almost always uses the harmonic minor scale in his organ solos. It gives it a Arabic sound to it and they're very emotional and beautiful. He was such a great keyboard player>
Fellow bandmate Ritchie Blackmore also used it many many times (Stargazer, Gates of Babylon, Eyes of Fire).
Good old harmonic minor. Always the most fun to play when practising scales 🙂
Also, "It's A Sin" by the Pet Shop Boys is another example of a song that toggles between the natural & harmonic minor (the verse is predominantly in C (natural) minor, but has a G major borrowed from the harmonic minor to lead into the chorus) 🙂
@Pranav Ajay Warrier - no, not at all! I've only ever attempted to play one a few times & every time I've tried it was distinctly more flatulent than melodic! Vocals, keyboards & guitar (and some blues stylophone) are more my thing : )
I may fail, because im a self-taught person in music, but i believe Yngwie Malmsteen's entire musical career it's based on this scale. Best wishes from Spain, beautyfull channel my friend.
Not watched the video yet but just commenting to say I'm looking forward to watching it
tonight
classic meme
Speaking of memes, I know it's not music related but what about a little video on OK Boomer?
Was looking for some inspiration for using harmonic minor and of course David has a video on it ❤ Thank you past David for your efforts so I can enjoy this today!
I did this recently and I thought oooh I wonder what scale this is, I bet David Bennett would know and then POW, you do a video on it. Cheers amigo!
I read your mind like piece of sheet music
@@DavidBennettPiano hahahaha. Get out of my head, bro!
maaaaaannnnnn, I love you're videos. music theory has been helping with a lot and I come back cause you explain it so well
Thank you!!
Thanks David. Excellent video. Lots of useful info.
Thank you Nelson 🙂
Nice idea using the vocals only tracks and adding piano etc. - a good way to hear what's really going on in the song while getting the right melody (and the vocals we love) from the vocalists.
A new example- If i'm not mistaken, much of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Encanto uses the C harmonic minor scale. It uses G major chords instead of G minor. The melody uses both B-flats and B naturals.
I began my study of music late in life and only now am I able to appreciate the music of the Beatles. It's fun to pick a song apart, looking for the music theory behind the chord changes, the use of modes, scales, etc. They probably weren't even aware of what they were doing...just writing down the noises they heard in their heads!
“Blend the harmonic minor with the natural minor”
This is exactly how I use harmonic minor, and I often use the major V chord resolving to the i chord. I also like to crawl up from the minor 7th to the 1st degree by semitones, hitting the major 7th, if it were c minor the notes would be Bb-B-C. Very well explained video and does a very good job of teaching how the harmonic minor can be used.
Your videos are amazing
I must say that music theory is so interesting to see in action, is complex to understand and yet so simple, I miss chorus classes sometimes. I'm in to this content because I love music so much.
Congratulations on passing 160,000 subscribers. Your site has excellent content and 4 inventive keys continue to grow. Well done.
Just the best elaboration I have ever seen! Inspires confidence about the subject😁
Thanks Rob!
I have no idea why this video was recommended to me but I couldn't stop watching
Great! Thank you
Another excellent video! I always love the “but this is what it would sound like if...” segments - so cool!
But that ain’t no minor third! That’s an augmented second! A technical point which admittedly doesn’t typically matter much in the real world, but I think it’s worth at least a mention in any discussion of the harmonic minor scale. And speaking of that interval, it occurs in the very last line of Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”, another good example of a mixture of minor scales.
Believe you me, it does matter in the real world, as soon as we start talking about the notes, rather than just playing them and hearing them.
سلام من
The blend between harmonic and natural minor always sounds amazing in my opinion. I've always loved it in songs or just piano, guitar/bass and violin solos
I see Radiohead, I click.
That explains a lot.
what's radiohead? isnt that from katy perry?
It makes it all the more amazing that Adrian Belew was right there with Fripp on the original. This piano rendition is fantastic! Thank you.
I love your explanation.
Thanks 🙏
I'm more impressed by the fact that you can keep your videos up even with so many music clips.
bringing heat as usual. I'm glad this channel exists.
thanks!!
I know absolutely nothing about music theory and don't have a single musical bone in my body but my gosh you're videos are always so fascinating and engaging!
Keep up the awesome work!
I think if I had had a teacher for music theory like you, I might have stuck with it. Great stuff! Might start playing the piano again after several decades away.
Excellent. Thanks for explaining this. I wasn’t allowed to do music at high school as “not enough students opted” so I left high school unable to do music at college. I’ve been a semi pro singer for many years but never got anywhere. I think I finally understand why... you need some formal music training and a full understanding to be able to build on for a professional future just like any other career. And loads of talent of course! Unless you’re lucky and win a competition! Great post.
Girls: You don’t even know how Billie makes her songs sound so sad
Me:
? When would someone ever say that? 😂
Leighann Ott I think that’s the joke...
Alfredo Paris She makes songs for people who like good music
Alfredo Paris Perhaps people would take you seriously if you could spell properly.
@@ohwellwhateverr >billie eilish
>good music
pick one
The gravity falls opening theme is in D harmonic minor. The very beginning is a
i -> V -> i. In the melody, it uses a c natural once, and a c sharp 4 times (3 of which were at the very end).
Maybe leave this for your next Q&A: Are there any topics that you want to do but can't for one reason or another? Maybe you don't think it'll be popular, or maybe it'd be too hard to properly research or explain it etc.
Good question. Generally, when I think of a topic I want to cover, I will find a way to do it! However, the two most common setbacks are (a) lack of research and (b) copyright strikes!
As for research... some topics I find hard to explain (like the recent 'Polyrhythm' video). It can takes me weeks and weeks to research and write a script that I'm happy with... often because that particular topic is pushing the limits of my own knowledge!
As for copyright... if I want to talk about a song, I need to find a way to recreate it in a way that can get past the copyright content ID system. You may have noticed that all of the songs in this video were either isolated vocals set to my own piano playing or a live version. If I can't think of a good way to recreate a song that I want to talk about, I can't really talk about it!
@@DavidBennettPiano Well you did great on that polyrhythm video! (omg that word is a nightmare to spell as a non-native speaker).
what your introducing to us in this beautiful visual way is huge, you deserve to be the best
awesome vid my guy
Thank you my guy!
Best channel on youtube
The Billie Eilish song sounds like/resembles part of “People Are Strange” by The Doors...
true
Odysseas Dano 👍
The rhythm is pretty similar.
Same rhythm, both using the i, iv, and V of they’re respective keys.
I was about to say you were wrong and then the instrumental played and I was like, shit is that Ray Manzerek's keyboard?
David - this is what YT should be all about. Deep intelligent, insightful, curious content.
Subscribed at Patreon! May you steadily get more.
And Xmas message for other viewers: David puts a lot of work into this content and you get a lot of enjoyment. Please consider a small financial support......
I really enjoyed the video. This is inspiring me to try Harmonic Minor in a new composition. Thanks for the great, hard work on this!
Thank you! You're welcome
Hate that this got demonetized. Liked & subbed. This guy rocks
Glad I found this channel! Impressed with the way you explained things and the music genres used in the example is 👌👍❤️
Thank you! 😄😄
Thanks David, as always very informative and understandable. Using the different minor keys over the years by ear and now I understand why it works
Me: this isn’t like any other David Bennett video
David: A good example of this is Girl by the Beatles
Me: Nevermind
;)
Hey man don’t want to blow thing too much but you helped understand so so much more of musical theory. My passion has always been music and I just not few again learning that music theory is what mostly drives the music (imagine how much of a beginner I am) and Im so glad youtube recommenced you. I’m 18 years old so I’m glad I found at this point of my life. Thanks again!
always a joy to see a new video from you!
Thank you!!
The Beatles in the thumbnail is always the thing that brings me to your vids
Love your videos! Always very informational. Thanks!
Thank you!
Shocked when I saw how young this bloke is. Excellent lesson!
Ah, yes. Radiohead and Beatles examples.
What else did you come for?!
nice pfp
@@mcfly4959 The Absolute Madman
love your teaching. truly thank you!
Ip Ken thanks! 🙂🙂
When he played the natural minor scale I immediately thought of The Rolling Stones “She’s a rainbow.”
exactly
Same
Me too!
The thing that's so cool about Sweet Dreams is that the melody and main synth line, which acts as the bass line, are consistently in natural minor, while the chord progression is always in harmonic minor, and then it switches to c Dorian mode in the breakdown in the middle, which is why it sounds so dramatic.
Excellent explanation. Thanks.
I found your video extremely useful, well done! Keep doing the great job!
I learn a lot from your channel. Thank you.
Thank you !
your channel made me the huge radiohead fan i am now. i was totally missing out. that music's art.
Great work, interesting and informative. I really enjoyed the analysis.
Thank you!
Ive always wondered what was that sound all the songs I like have in common. Thanks a lot for this info.
You're welcome!
Beautifully done 💛
Thanks!
Netflix + closed captioning = solemn music, dark music, uneasy music, creepy music, chilling music…
What is it that defines these different genres of music? Is it the scale that is being used? How does Netflix define the specific style of music that is being played? Only a musical phenom like yourself would have an answer. David Benett, you da bomb! I am hooked on your videos. I am patiently waiting for your answer. 🙏
When Johnny Comes Marching Home is another well known song that switches between natural and harmonic minor
Aww my favorite scale. Sometimes I’m in the bath and I just sing this to myself to make myself happier