D# Harmonic Minor Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
D# Harmonic Minor in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The D# Harmonic Minor scale is a variation of the minor scale that introduces a strong leading tone. On Guitar, the notes are D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B, D. It has a distinctive exotic or Middle Eastern flavor due to the wide gap between its upper notes, and is used to provide the harmonic tension necessary for classical minor-key resolutions. It is a staple in neo-classical metal and flamenco. The diatonic chords of D# Harmonic Minor are D#mMaj7, Fm7b5, F#+maj7, G#m7, A#7, Bmaj7, Do7. Commonly used in Metal, Classical, Flamenco, Film Scores, Neoclassical. Notable players include Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Johann Sebastian Bach. Use over m(Maj7), m7, dim7 chords. Essential for creating V7 → i resolutions in minor keys. The raised 7th provides the leading tone that natural minor lacks.
Notes: D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B, D
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
Formula: W-H-W-W-H-WH-H
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)
Diatonic Chords
D♯mMaj7 — Fm7♭5 — F♯+maj7 — G♯m7 — A♯7 — Bmaj7 — Do7
About Drop B Tuning
Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.
Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.
Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure
Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- D# Harmonic Minor in Standard Tuning
- D# Harmonic Minor in Drop D
- D# Harmonic Minor in DADGAD
- D# Harmonic Minor in Open G
- D# Harmonic Minor in Baritone (B Standard)
- D# Harmonic Minor in 7-string
- D# Harmonic Minor in 8-string
- D# Harmonic Minor in Drop C
- D# Harmonic Minor in Open D
- D# Harmonic Minor in Half Step Down
- D# Harmonic Minor in Open E
- D# Harmonic Minor in Open A
- D# Harmonic Minor in Double Drop D
- D# Harmonic Minor in Open C