Double harmonic scale
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In music, the double harmonic major scale[1] is a scale whose gaps evoking "exotic" music to Western listeners. This is also known as the Gypsy, Arabic and [1][2] the Byzantine scale.
The sequence of steps comprising the Byzantine scale is:
Or, in relation to the tonic note:
- flat 2nd, major 3rd, perfect 4th and 5th, minor 6th, major 7th.
However, this scale is commonly represented with the first and last half step each being represented as a quarter tone. The non-quarter tone form is identical to the Indian Thaat named Bhairav.
The Byzantine scale is arrived at by either:
- raising the seventh of the Phrygian dominant scale
- raising the seventh and third of the Phrygian mode
- lowering the sixth and second of a major scale
- combining the lower half of phrygian dominant with the upper half of harmonic minor[1]
It is referred to as the double harmonic scale because it contains two augmented seconds/minor thirds, while the harmonic scale contains only that between the sixth and seventh degrees:
The Arabic scale is uncommonly used in Western music, as it does not closely follow any of the basic musical modes, nor is it easily derived from them. It also does not easily fit into common Western chord progressions. However, the Arabic scale (in the key of E) was used in Nikolas Roubanis's Misirlou and the Arabic scale is sometimes used in heavy metal guitar solos[citation needed]. It is popular in India[2].
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[edit] Modes
Like all other heptonic scales, the double harmonic scale has a mode for each of its individual scale degrees. The most commonly known of these modes is the 4th mode, the Hungarian gypsy scale, most similar to the harmonic minor scale with a raised 4th degree.
[edit] Relationship to Phrygian major (Jewish scale)
The nearest other existing scale to the Byzantine scale is the phrygian dominant scale. The Byzantine scale can be made from a Phrygian Dominant scale by sharpening its 7th degree.
[edit] Sources
- ^ a b c Stetina, Troy (1999). The Ultimate Scale Book, p.59. ISBN 0793597889.
- ^ a b Christiansen, Mike (2003). Mel Bay Complete Guitar Scale Dictionary, p.43. ISBN 0786669942.
[edit] See also
| Musical scales by | edit |
| # | pentatonic | hexatonic | heptatonic | octatonic | chromatic | |
| Types | Altered | Bebop | Diatonic scale | Enharmonic | Jazz scale | Minor scale | |
| Name | Acoustic | Blues | Bohlen-Pierce | Diatonic | Double harmonic | Half diminished | Harmonic major | Lydian dominant | Major | Major locrian | Pelog | Phrygian dominant scale | Slendro | |
| "Ethnic" name | Arabic | Gypsy | Jewish | |
| Modes of the diatonic scale | edit |
| Ionian (I) | Dorian (II) | Phrygian (III) | |
| Lydian (IV) | Mixolydian (V) | Aeolian (VI) | Locrian (VII) | |
| Modes of the melodic minor scale | edit |
| Melodic minor (I) | Dorian b2 (II) | Lydian Augmented (III) | |
| Lydian Dominant (IV) | Mixolydian b13(V) | Locrian #2 (VI) | | Altered (VII) | |
