C♯ harmonic major (C# harmonic major) scale on tenor sax
C♯ harmonic major has 7 notes: C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A B♯. Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 7. Formula: W W H W H W+H H.
What notes are in the C♯ harmonic major scale?
C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A and B♯. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is W W H W H W+H H.
What does C♯ harmonic major sound like, and when do you use it?
Major with a shadow: the ♭6 brings the color of the borrowed minor iv. Use it over maj7 moving to a minor iv.
Chords in C♯ harmonic major
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | C♯ | C♯maj7 |
| ii° | D♯° | D♯m7♭5 |
| iii | E♯m | E♯m7 |
| iv | F♯m | F♯m(maj7) |
| V | G♯ | G♯7 |
| ♭VI+ | A+ | Amaj7♯5 |
| vii° | B♯° | B♯°7 |
Chord progressions to improvise with C♯ harmonic major
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the staff lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in C♯:
- I–iv (Imaj7–ivmaj7): C♯maj7 | F♯m(maj7). The minor iv brings the ♭6 (A): major with a shadow.
- ii–V–I (iiø7–V7–Imaj7): D♯m7♭5 | G♯7 | C♯maj7 | C♯maj7. A major ii–V with a half-diminished ii: the ♭6 (A) sounds in the ii.
C♯ harmonic major on tenor sax: written notes and fingerings
The tenor sax is a B♭ instrument: written C♯ harmonic major sounds B harmonic major in concert pitch. Fingering for each note, from low to high (left hand | right hand):
- C♯: 123 | 123 + low C♯
- D♯: 123 | 123 + E♭
- E♯: 123 | 1
- F♯: 123 | 2
- G♯: 123 | – + G♯
- A: 12 | –
- B♯: 2 | –
- C♯: – | –
Harmonic major in other keys
On other instruments
C♯ harmonic major on piano · C♯ harmonic major on guitar · C♯ harmonic major on bass · C♯ harmonic major on ukulele · C♯ harmonic major on mandolin · C♯ harmonic major on banjo · C♯ harmonic major on violin · C♯ harmonic major on viola · C♯ harmonic major on cello · C♯ harmonic major on alto sax · C♯ harmonic major on trumpet · C♯ harmonic major on flute · All scales