IDS: The double harmonic major scale
Today as part of my IDS project, I learned about the double harmonic minor scale.
The double harmonic minor scale goes by many names, depending on the musical culture: the Mayamalavagowla, Bhairav Raga, the Byzantine scale, and the Hijaz Kar(sometimes referred to as the Arabic scale by Western musicians). Possibly related to the fact that it appears in the music of so many distinct cultures, it has a very exotic sound, at least to European/North American listeners.
The double harmonic major scale can be derived from taking the phrygian scale(a mode of the major scale) and raising the third and seventh steps. Aside from being used by composers trying to mimic foreign music, its unique sound has been used in many more conventional songs, such as Moth Into Flame, and even some pop songs.
(This post is part of a series of entries into my Learning Journey for my IDS project in Music Composition.)
