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Compiling global examples of music in the Double Harmonic Scale

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1-b2-3-4-5-b6-7

(C-D^b-E-F-G-A^b-B-C)

o o • • o o • o o • • o o

• Double Harmonic: Sounds •

Real-world examples of the scale in action:

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• General: 

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• India: Known in North India as Raag Bhairav, a famous, auspicious morning raga named after ‘Bhaya-Rava‘, an apocalyptic manifestation of Lord Shiva, fabled to have cut off one of Lord Brahma’s five heads to silence his arrogance. Renditions reflect the gravity of these ancient tales, depicting Shiva’s resulting tandav (‘dance of destruction’) with idiosyncratic oscillations on the b2. The scale also appears in South India as Raga Mayamalavagowla (mela #15), popular for centuries as one of the first ragas taught to beginners.

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—T (origin)—

Artist (inst)

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• Double Harmonic: More •

Features, classifiers, quirks, etc…

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[analysis: coming soon]

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—Classifiers & Quirks—

• Modes: Hungarian Minor (on ♮3)
• Quirks: Cohemitonic; Centred; Palindromic; Reflectional Symmetry (imperfect: ♮5, b6, ♮7; detached: none)
• Names: Double Harmonic, Byzantine, Ionian b2 b6 (Western); Bhairav Thaat (Hindustani); Mayamalavagaula (Carnatic); Hijazkar (Maqam)

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n.b. For more detailed geometric and mathematical analysis, refer to this scale’s entry in Ian Ring’s fantastic Exciting Universe of Music Theory project (for which I am an occasional ‘raga consultant’)

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