Phrygian Dominant (Hijaz) Scale #7

[GrooveNinja]

Hi,

I have been experimenting with the phrygian dominant or hijaz scale. I have found that if I raise the seventh of this scale, creating two augmented seconds, it sounds really, really cool. It has the form:

h - a - h - w - h - a- h

Is this an "official" scale? If so, what is it called? Thank you for your help!

[C00kie]

I found it named "Bhairav Theta", "Byzantine", "Hungarian Gypsy Persian", "Mela Mayamalavagaula", or simply Double Harmonic

[Lost_Highway]

Some of those names are new ones to me -- I've come across Byzantine and Double Harmonic before.

It's a fantastic scale and lends itself to a lot of nice tritone stuff and diminished chords. When using it I often found myself slipping into the phrygian dominant as well.

I seem to remember someone posting a thread about the double harmonic a while back... ah, here it is (and I killed that thread as well ).

[GrooveNinja]

Thanks guys! I knew that scale was too good to be new. I was experimenting with the hijaz scale, but that non-sharpened seventh just sounded so dull to me.

[C00kie]

First I though Hijaz was an abreviation of "High Jazz", but the full name is the Hijaz-Nahawand maqam. It got it's name from the Heyaz region in Saudi-Arabia and the city Nahavand in Iran (former Persia.)

[Lost_Highway]

First I though Hijaz was an abreviation of "High Jazz"

I made the same assumption, so thanks for putting us right. I really must read in depth all the Wiki articles about different scales, rather than just skimming over them every now and again

[GrooveNinja]

First I though Hijaz was an abreviation of "High Jazz",

Is that like "Haute Cuisine" or "Haute Couture"? Haute Jazz!