A composer writing in D minor wants the dominant chord (built on A) to create a strong sense of resolution toward the tonic D. Which scale should the chord's notes come from?
AD natural minor — it preserves the authentic minor sound throughout
BD harmonic minor — raising the 7th degree (C to C♯) creates a leading tone that pulls urgently to D
CD major — only major keys can produce a dominant chord with proper resolution
DD melodic minor — it shares the most notes with D major and produces the smoothest voice-leading
In D natural minor, the 7th degree is C♮, which sits a whole step below the tonic. This produces a subtonic, not a leading tone, and the dominant chord A–C♮–E lacks the half-step pull toward D. Harmonic minor raises C to C♯, which is only a half step below D, creating the leading tone and turning the dominant triad into A–C♯–E — a major chord with strong resolution pull. This is exactly why harmonic minor exists: to restore dominant function in minor keys.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
A melody in A harmonic minor moves from scale degree 6 (F♮) up to scale degree 7 (G♯). What interval does the listener hear?
AA minor second — one half step
BA major second — one whole step (two half steps)
CAn augmented second — three half steps, larger than a whole step
DA minor third — four half steps
F♮ to G♯ spans three half steps: F→F♯→G→G♯. This is an augmented second — enharmonically the same size as a minor third but spelled differently because the notes are on adjacent letter names (F and G). This distinctive gap is the acoustic signature of harmonic minor and is why the scale sounds exotic or tense compared to natural minor. Historically, this interval was considered awkward for vocal melody, which motivated the melodic minor scale.
Question 3 True / False
In minor-key tonal music, composers use mainly the harmonic minor scale — the natural minor is a separate theoretical construct with no practical role in tonal composition.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Both scales serve different roles in the same key. Natural minor commonly appears in descending melodic lines and modal passages, while harmonic minor provides the logic for harmonization — especially the V chord, which uses the raised 7th to create dominant function. A real minor-key piece typically alternates between both forms: the melody follows whichever version fits the harmonic context of each moment. Natural minor and harmonic minor are not competitors; they are complementary tools.
Question 4 True / False
The harmonic minor scale differs from natural minor by exactly one note: the 7th scale degree is raised by a half step.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
This is the defining feature. Natural minor: W-H-W-W-H-W-W. Harmonic minor: same, except the 7th degree is raised by a half step, changing the final W-H of the upper tetrachord. Every other scale degree — including the lowered 3rd and lowered 6th that distinguish minor from major — remains the same. This single alteration has large consequences for harmony because it restores the leading tone, giving the V chord its dominant function.
Question 5 Short Answer
Why does raising the 7th degree of natural minor to create harmonic minor make such a significant difference to the V chord in a minor key?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: The V chord in a minor key is built on scale degree 5 and includes scale degree 7. In natural minor, scale degree 7 is a whole step below the tonic, making the V chord a minor triad — it lacks the half-step pull toward the tonic. Raising the 7th creates a half-step interval below the tonic (a leading tone), turning the V chord into a major triad (or dominant seventh) with strong upward pull to the tonic. This restores the authentic cadence function that is central to tonal harmony.
The pull of the leading tone — the sensation of 'wanting' to resolve up by a half step — is one of the most powerful forces in tonal music. Natural minor's subtonic (whole step below tonic) lacks this force. Harmonic minor restores it at the cost of the augmented 2nd between ♭6 and raised 7. Composers accepted this trade-off because dominant function was more important to harmonic grammar than melodic smoothness in the upper tetrachord.