Guitar scale · Byzantine scale
F# Double Harmonic Major Scale
The major scale with a lowered 2nd and a lowered 6th. It has two augmented 2nds, between ♭2 and 3 and between ♭6 and 7. Also called Byzantine.
Tap any note to hear it.
F# Double Harmonic Major Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------2-3-6-| B|-------------------------3-6-------| G|-------------------3-4-6-----------| D|-------------3-4-5-----------------| A|-------2-4-5-----------------------| E|-2-3-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-7-| B|-----------------------6-7-8-----| G|-----------------4-6-7-----------| D|-----------4-5-8-----------------| A|-----4-5-8-----------------------| E|-6-7-----------------------------|
e|--------------------------------6-7-9-10-| B|----------------------------7-8----------| G|---------------------6-7-10--------------| D|-----------------8-9---------------------| A|----------8-9-10-------------------------| E|-6-7-9-10--------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------9-10-13-| B|----------------------------------11-12---------| G|-------------------------10-11-12---------------| D|-----------------9-11-12------------------------| A|---------9-10-13--------------------------------| E|-9-10-13----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-15-| B|----------------------------------12-14-15----------| G|-------------------------11-12-15-------------------| D|----------------11-12-15----------------------------| A|----------13-14-------------------------------------| E|-13-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Double Harmonic Major on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F# on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 2–6. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F# |
| ♭2 | G |
| 3 | A# |
| 4 | B |
| 5 | C# |
| ♭6 | D |
| 7 | E# |
Chords in F# Double Harmonic Major
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F# Double Harmonic Major; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | F# | F#maj7 | Tonic |
| ♭II | G | Gmaj7 | Supertonic |
| iii | A#m | — | Mediant |
| iv | Bm | Bm(maj7) | Subdominant |
| V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♭VI+ | Daug | Dmaj7#5 | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F# Double Harmonic Major anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the F# Double Harmonic Major Scale?
- The F# Double Harmonic Major Scale has 7 notes: F#, G, A#, B, C#, D, E#.
- What chords are in the F# Double Harmonic Major Scale?
- The chords of F# Double Harmonic Major are F# (I), G (♭II), A#m (iii), Bm (iv), Daug (♭VI+).
- What is the formula of the double harmonic major scale?
- 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7, which is the step pattern H W+H H W H W+H H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play F# Double Harmonic Major on the guitar?
- The root F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.