harmonic minor

I sound really bad when I play in the HArmonic minor scale. It always comes out as an angry or scary sound when ever i try to use it but I want to play within it and get the eastern exotic sound I've been told it generally reflects.

Can anyone help me?

Raise the fourth in addition to the seventh.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonRaise the fourth in addition to the seventh.

Not the forth, only the seventh scale degree.

By raising the fourth you get one of the hungarian sounds. Very cool. I do that as well.

Very cool but a Harmonic minor scale is simply raising the 7th scale degree and that is it. by raising the 4th as well you are playing one of the 7 modes, I'm not good with modes anymore.

A common application is starting the harmonic minor with a root thats a 4th down. or conversly, a 5th up. Let your own ears be the judge.

For real altered v7 extensions try the old standby; come into the chord from a half step up and you're sure to get some attention! Not to mention hitting every alteration known to man!

Now for playing the harmonic minor as a substitution over a fairly normal minor 7th it's always tastier to build up to it by perhaps first using the run of the mill minor scales then switching to the true melodic minor with the different decension finally tearing off the h/m at full throttle and bending that last interval! :)