Double Harmonic Scale

The double harmonic scale (also called Byzantine scale, Arabic scale, or Gypsy major) has two augmented seconds — one between the 1st and 2nd degrees, one between the 5th and 6th. Both are characteristic of harmonic minor, but here they appear simultaneously in the same scale. The result is intensely exotic, with a strongly Middle Eastern or Byzantine quality. It's rarer than harmonic minor or Phrygian dominant, but when you hear it, there's no mistaking it.

Construction

C double harmonic:
C  D♭  E  F  G  A♭  B  C

Formula: 1  ♭2  3  4  5  ♭6  7

Step pattern: H - A2 - H - W - H - A2 - H
(A2 = augmented second, wider than a whole step)

Notice both augmented seconds: between D♭ and E (minor 2nd to major 3rd) and between A♭ and B (minor 6th to major 7th). Both create the characteristic leap that sounds exotic and ornamental.

Key Scales

C double harmonic: C D♭ E F G A♭ B C
G double harmonic: G A♭ B C D E♭ F# G
D double harmonic: D E♭ F# G A B♭ C# D
A double harmonic: A B♭ C# D E F G# A

Sound and Character

Intensely exotic, dramatic, immediately recognisable as "non-Western" to ears trained on major and minor scales. The two augmented seconds give the scale a lurching, ornamental quality — it sounds like music designed for expressive vocal slides and embellishments, which is exactly what it is in the Arabic and Byzantine traditions where it originates. In those traditions, it's not a "weird exotic scale" but a fundamental mode.

The same notes appear in Indian classical music as various ragas. In Western music it appears in some film scores for "Middle Eastern" settings and in some metal — the opening guitar riff of "War Nerve" by Pantera uses double harmonic-like intervals.

Symmetry

The double harmonic scale is symmetric around the tritone — the first half (C D♭ E F G) mirrors the second half (G A♭ B C D). This means the scale works over both a major chord (C E G) and the chord a tritone away (F# A# C#, enharmonically G♭ B♭ D♭) — both are present in the scale. This is the same tritone substitution relationship that the Lydian dominant scale exploits.