music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

, the double harmonic major scaleStetina, Troy (1999). ''The Ultimate Scale Book'', p. 59. . is a scale whose

gaps Gaps is a member of the Montana group of Patience games, where the goal is to arrange all the cards in suit from Deuce (a Two card) to King. Other solitaire games in this family include Spaces, Addiction, Vacancies, Clown Solitaire, Paganini, ...

may sound unfamiliar to Western listeners. This is also known as

Mayamalavagowla Mayamalavagowla (pronounced ) is a raga of Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is classified as 15th ''melakarta'' raga under Venkatamakhin's ''melakarta'' system. Originally known as ''malavagowla'', "maya" was pref ...

, Bhairav Raga, Byzantine scale, Arabic (Hijaz Kar),Christiansen, Mike (2003). ''Mel Bay Complete Guitar Scale Dictionary'', p. 43. . and Gypsy major. It can be likened to a

gypsy scale The term ''Gypsy scale'' refers to one of several musical scales named after their support of and association with Romani or "Gypsy" music: * Double harmonic scale (major), the fifth mode of Hungarian minor, or Double Harmonic minor, scale, also kn ...

because of the diminished step between the 1st and 2nd degrees. ''Arabic scale'' may also refer to any Arabic mode, the simplest of which, however, to Westerners, resembles the double harmonic major scale. :

Details

The sequence of steps comprising the double harmonic scale is : :

half One half ( : halves) is the irreducible fraction resulting from dividing one by two or the fraction resulting from dividing any number by its double. Multiplication by one half is equivalent to division by two, or "halving"; conversely, ...

augmented second In classical music from Western culture, an augmented second is an interval that, in equal temperament, is sonically equivalent to a minor third, spanning three semitones, and is created by widening a major second by a chromatic semitone.Benwar ...

, half, whole, half, augmented second, half Or, in relation to the tonic note :minor second, major third, perfect fourth and fifth, minor sixth, major seventh, octave However, this scale is commonly represented with the first and last half step each being represented with

quarter tones A quarter tone is a pitch halfway between the usual notes of a chromatic scale or an interval about half as wide (aurally, or logarithmically) as a semitone, which itself is half a whole tone. Quarter tones divide the octave by 50 cents each, a ...

: : The non-quarter tone form is identical, in terms of notes, to the North Indian

Thaat A Thaat () is a "Parent scale" in North Indian or Hindustani music. It is the Hindustani equivalent of the term ''Melakartha raga'' of Carnatic Music. The concept of the ''thaat'' is not exactly equivalent to the western musical scale because t ...

named Bhairav and the South Indian (Carnatic)

Melakarta Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melak ...

named

. The double harmonic scale is arrived at by either: *raising the seventh of the

Phrygian dominant scale In music, the Phrygian dominant scale is the fifth musical mode, mode of the minor scale#Harmonic and melodic minor, harmonic minor scale, the fifth being the dominant (music), dominant.Dave Hunter (2005). ''Play Acoustic'', San Francisco: Backbe ...

(a mode of the

harmonic minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which als ...

) by a

semitone A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...

. The Phrygian dominant in turn is produced by raising the third of the diatonic

Phrygian mode The Phrygian mode (pronounced ) can refer to three different musical modes: the ancient Greek ''tonos'' or ''harmonia,'' sometimes called Phrygian, formed on a particular set of octave species or scales; the Medieval Phrygian mode, and the modern ...

(a mode of the major scale) by a semitone. *lowering both the second and sixth of the

Ionian mode Ionian mode is a musical mode or, in modern usage, a diatonic scale also called the major scale. It is the name assigned by Heinrich Glarean in 1547 to his new authentic mode on C (mode 11 in his numbering scheme), which uses the diatonic octav ...

by a semitone. *raising the third of the neapolitan minor scale by a semitone. *lowering the second note of the

harmonic major scale In music theory, the harmonic major scale is a musical scale found in some music from the common practice era and now used occasionally, most often in jazz. In George Russell's '' Lydian Chromatic Concept'' it is the fifth mode (V) of the Lydian ...

by a semitone. *lowering the second note and raising the third note of the

harmonic minor In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which also ...

scale by one semitone. *combining the lower half of the Phrygian dominant scale with the upper half of harmonic minor. It is referred to as the "double harmonic" scale because it contains two harmonic tetrads featuring augmented seconds. By contrast, both the harmonic major and harmonic minor scales contain only one augmented second, located between their sixth and seventh degrees. The scale contains a built-in

tritone substitution The tritone substitution is a common chord substitution found in both jazz and classical music. Where jazz is concerned, it was the precursor to more complex substitution patterns like Coltrane changes. Tritone substitutions are sometimes used in ...

, a dominant seventh chord a half step above the root, with strong harmonic movement towards the tonic chord. The double harmonic scale is not commonly used in

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

from

Western culture Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...

, as it does not closely follow any of the basic

musical modes In music theory, the term mode or ''modus'' is used in a number of distinct senses, depending on context. Its most common use may be described as a type of musical scale coupled with a set of characteristic melodic and harmonic behaviors. It ...

, nor is it easily derived from them. It also does not easily fit into common Western

chord progressions In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practic ...

such as the

authentic cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (199 ...

. This is because it is mostly used as a modal scale, not intended for much movement through chord progressions. The Arabic scale (in the key of E) was used in Nikolas Roubanis's "

Misirlou "Misirlou" ( el, Μισιρλού < tr, Mısırlı 'Egyptian' < ar, مصر ''Miṣr'' 'Egypt') is a folk song from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The original author of the song is not known, but Arabic, Greek, and Jewish musicians wer ...

", and in the

Bacchanale A bacchanale is an orgiastic musical composition, often depicting a drunken revel or ''bacchanal''. Examples include the ''bacchanales'' in Camille Saint-Saëns's '' Samson and Delilah'', the Venusberg scene in Richard Wagner's ''Tannhäuser'', '' ...

from the opera ''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

'' by Saint-Saëns.

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

used the scale in " Soirée dans Grenade", " La Puerta del Vino", and " Sérénade interrompue" to evoke Spanish flamenco music or Moorish heritage. In popular music, Ritchie Blackmore of

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...

and

Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

used the scale in pieces such as " Gates of Babylon" and " Stargazer". The

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

jazz standard " Nardis" also makes use of the double harmonic..

Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mikael ...

used this scale in their song "Bleak" from the album ''

Blackwater Park ''Blackwater Park'' is the fifth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on March 12, 2001 in Europe and a day later in North America through Music for Nations and Koch Records. The album marks the first collaboratio ...

''.

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

use the scale in a guitar solo from their song " The Threat Is Real" from their 2015 album ''

Dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

''. It is also used by

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, Oscars and four Grammy Awards, Grammys, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmys and a Tony Awar ...

in his score for ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

''.

Symmetry and balance

The double harmonic scale features radial symmetry, or symmetry around its root, or center note. Breaking up the three note chromaticism and removing this symmetry by sharpening the 2nd or flattening the 7th note respectively by one semitone yields the harmonic major and Phrygian Dominant mode of the harmonic minor scales respectively, each of which, unlike the double harmonic minor scale, has a full diminished chord backbone. This scale (and its modes like the

Hungarian minor scale The Hungarian minor scale,Christiansen, Mike (2000). ''Guitar Scale Dictionary'', p. 14. .Stetina, Troy (2007). ''Fretboard Mastery'', p. 126. .Kent Cleland, Mary Dobrea-Grindahl (2010). ''Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills'', p. 495. Ca ...

) is the only seven-note scale (in 12-tone equal temperament) that is ''perfectly balanced''; this means that when its pitches are represented as points on a circle (whose full circumference represents an octave), their average position (or "centre of mass") is the centre of the circle.

Tetrads

The main chords of the double harmonic major are: Tetrads C Doube Harmonic Major

I7M bII7M iii6 iv7M V7(b5) bVI7M(#5) viisus2add13(b5) There are other possibilities of tetrad: I7M(#5) bII7 bii7M bii7 bii7(b5) III6 iv° V6(b5) bvi°

Modes

Like all

heptatonic A heptatonic scale is a musical scale that has seven pitches, or tones, per octave. Examples include the major scale or minor scale; e.g., in C major: C D E F G A B C—and in the relative minor, A minor, natural minor: A B C D E F G A; the mel ...

(seven-pitch) 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 minor scale, most similar to the

with a raised 4th degree. The modes are as follows:Patrice,
Acheter une guitare électrique – Zoom pour ne pas se tromper
" 23 May 2016 (accessed 9 October 2016). :

Related scales

Some of the closest existing scales to the double harmonic major scale are the

, the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, as they are alike save for the Phrygian dominant's flattened seventh degree. As well as the

(also known as major flat 6 and Ionian flat 6) this scale is identical to the standard

major scale The major scale (or Ionian mode) is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in Western music. It is one of the diatonic scales. Like many musical scales, it is made up of seven notes: the eighth duplicates the first at double i ...

aside from the sixth scale degree being flattened by a

References

External links

{{scales Heptatonic scales Modes (music) Musical symmetry Musical scales with augmented seconds Hemitonic scales Tritonic scales de:Zigeuner-Dur