Double Harmonic Major
Introduction
The Double Harmonic Major scale is a striking and exotic scale, also known as the Byzantine scale. It features two augmented seconds and is characterized by its unique interval structure, used in Middle Eastern, Indian, Romani, and modern classical music. It is also called the Arabic scale in some contexts.
Structure
Formula: 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7
Interval formula: H – A2 – H – W – H – A2 – H
Example:
C Double Harmonic Major:
C – D♭ – E – F – G – A♭ – B – C
Use Cases
- Middle Eastern and Arabic traditional music
- Classical music (Liszt, Rimsky-Korsakov)
- Flamenco and Romani music
- Metal and experimental film scores
Diatonic Triads
| Degree | Chord Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | Major | C |
| II | Diminished | D♭dim |
| III | Augmented | E+ |
| IV | Minor | Fm |
| V | Major | G |
| VI | Major | A♭ |
| VII | Diminished | Bdim |
Diatonic 7th Chords
| Degree | Chord Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | Major 7 | Cmaj7 |
| II | Diminished 7 | D♭dim7 |
| III | Major 7♯5 | Emaj7♯5 |
| IV | Minor 7 | Fm7 |
| V | Dominant 7 | G7 |
| VI | Major 7 | A♭maj7 |
| VII | Half-Diminished | Bm7♭5 |
Common Progressions
- I - IV - V: C - Fm - G
- i - III+ - V: C - E+ - G
- I - ♭II - VII: C - D♭ - Bdim
