Gb Harmonic Minor

G flat Harmonic Minor scale for guitar.
The Gb Harmonic Minor is a seven-note scale. Colored circles mark the tones in the diagram, the darker ones are the root notes. In the two-octave pattern, the first note in the scale is on the 6th string, 2nd fret.

Gb Harmonic Minor 2 octaves

Gb Harmonic Minor scale diagram

Gb Harmonic Minor full fretboard

Gb Harmonic Minor scale whole guitar neck diagram

Gb Harmonic Minor with note names

Gb Harmonic Minor scale with note letters diagram

Shape 1 (1st position) with fingerings

Gb Harmonic Minor scale shape 1 diagram

Shape 2 (3rd position) with fingerings

Gb Harmonic Minor scale shape 2 diagram

Shape 3 (6th position) with fingerings

Gb Harmonic Minor scale shape 3 diagram

Shape 4 (8th position) with fingerings

Gb Harmonic Minor scale shape 4 diagram

Shape 5 (11th position) with fingerings

Gb Harmonic Minor scale shape 5 diagram
Notes: Gb - Ab - Bbb - Cb - Db - Ebb - F Intervals: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 Type: Septonic 

The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes, intervals and scale degrees.

Formula Notes Intervals Degrees
1 Gb Unison Tonic
2 Ab Major second Supertonic
b3 Bbb Minor third Mediant
4 Cb Perfect fourth Subdominant
5 Db Perfect fifth Dominant
6 Ebb Minor sixth Submediant
7 F Major seventhSubtonic

The third degree is written as Bbb, which is the same as A. The fourth degree is written as Cb, which is the same as B. The sixth degree is written as Ebb, which is the same as D. A practice in a scale notation is to not include the same letter twice, if it can be avoided.

The interval formula (2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1) can be expound into specific notes of the scale.

Notes (ascending) Interval
Gb-Ab M2
Gb-A m3
Gb-B P4
Gb-Db P5
Gb-D m6
Gb-F M7
Notes (descending) Interval
Gb-F m2
Gb-D M3
Gb-Db P4
Gb-B P5
Gb-A M6
Gb-Ab m7

Abbreviations are used: M / m stands for major / minor and P stands for perfect.

The main chords that are related to this scale are the following:

Gbm 244222 GbmM7 XX4665
Abdim XX6797 Abm7b5 XX6777
Aaug X03221 AM7#5 54666X
Bm X24432 Bm7 X20202
Db X46664 Db7 X46464
D XX0232 Dmaj7 XX0222
Fdim XX3101 Fdim7 XX3434

The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Gb Harmonic Minor scale in which Gbm is the tonic triad and GbmM7 the tonic 7th chord.
The second and fourth columns include short notations for the chords in the first and third columns respectively. These are based on common ways to play the chord, but there are other alternatives. See more about this notation system on the FAQ page.

The G flat Harmonic Minor scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as intervals, as semi-notes or steps on the guitar fingerboard from the first note to the next octave. Written as semi-notes: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1. Written as steps: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole and a half, half.
The Gb Harmonic Minor is one of three Gb Minor scales, the other two are Gb Natural Minor and Gb Melodic Minor.

This minor scale has an exotic sound caused by the whole and a half distance between the sixth and seventh degrees.
This large jump is the main feature to focus on in addition to the parallels with the other two minor scales.

Start the audio and play along! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.

Normal tempo:
Slow tempo:

Gb Harmonic Minor scale first shape ascending.

Gb Harmonic Minor scale tab

The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.