Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Scale

B Double Harmonic Major Scale

Intensely exotic and ornate. Two augmented seconds placed symmetrically give it a hypnotic, ancient, Middle Eastern atmosphere.

7 notes
3 ♯
exotic

1Composition: what it contains

B – C – D♯ – E – F♯ – G – A♯

Formula: 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7
Steps: H – W+H – H – W – H – W+H – H
Number of notes: 7
Sharps and flats: 3 ♯
Also called: Byzantine scale, Arabic scale, Gypsy major, Bhairav (approximately)

Degree	Note	Interval	Semitones
1	B	unison	0
♭2	C	minor second	1
3	D♯	major third	4
4	E	perfect fourth	5
5	F♯	perfect fifth	7
♭6	G	minor sixth	8
7	A♯	major seventh	11

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

Treble clef

Bass clef

Piano keyboard

Guitar (standard tuning E A D G B E)

Bass guitar (E A D G)

Ukulele (G C E A)

Tip: click any note, key or fret to hear it. Orange = root.

3Indications: what it is used for

Built as 1-♭2-3-4-5-♭6-7: a phrygian dominant with a major seventh, made of two identical tetrachords a fifth apart. It appears in Middle Eastern, North Indian classical (as the Bhairav raga, approximately), Greek and Balkan folk, belly-dance music, surf rock and film scores for desert or ancient settings. It fits a major chord with a major chord a half step above (I–♭II–I) and a static major tonic with a drone. Its tonic chord is major, but its colour is far from plain major.

4Dosage: how to practise it

Six to eight minutes daily over a root-and-fifth drone at 60–90 BPM. Practise each tetrachord (1-♭2-3-4 and 5-♭6-7-8) separately; they have the same shape, which helps memorisation. Then play full two-octave runs with ornaments like trills on the ♭2. On guitar, try single-string playing to see the symmetry. On piano, work hands separately because of the two augmented seconds. Improvise slowly, letting each note ring against the drone. Record a drone for ten minutes and improvise without stopping.

5Warnings and common mistakes

It is very characterful: use it briefly or for a whole piece in one style, not mixed casually with plain major. Do not confuse it with Hungarian minor (minor third, raised fourth) or phrygian dominant (flat seventh). The augmented seconds should be spelled across adjacent letters (♭2 to 3, ♭6 to 7). Equal-tempered instruments only approximate the microtonal versions of Middle Eastern modes, so avoid presenting it as an exact equivalent.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Chords of the scale (triads)

Degree	Chord	Notes
I	B	B – D♯ – F♯
♭II	C	C – E – G
iii	D♯m	D♯ – F♯ – A♯
iv	Em	E – G – B
V?	F♯	F♯ – A♯ – C
♭VI+	Gaug	G – B – D♯
VII?	A♯	A♯ – C – E

Chords of the scale (seventh chords)

Degree	Chord	Notes
Imaj7	Bmaj7	B – D♯ – F♯ – A♯
♭IImaj7	Cmaj7	C – E – G – B
iii?	D♯m6	D♯ – F♯ – A♯ – C
iv(maj7)	Em(maj7)	E – G – B – D♯
V?	F♯7♭5	F♯ – A♯ – C – E
♭VI+maj7	G+maj7	G – B – D♯ – F♯
VII?	A♯	A♯ – C – E – G

Same notes, different starting point

E Hungarian Minor Scale

7Other presentations available

The same scale from every note

Other scales from the same note

Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.