Chord & FretDouble harmonic (Byzantine) (C)
Two step-and-a-half leaps in one scale — between the 2nd and 3rd, and between the 6th and 7th — define the double harmonic: it's as if the harmonic minor's 'exotic' stride were doubled over a major foundation. The result is dramatic and instantly recognizable, the sound cinema reaches for to suggest 'the East.' Honesty matters here: 'Byzantine' is a historical Western-catalog name — that is, a label — and these seven notes don't sum up the traditions the name evokes. It appears in film scores, concert music and as an occasional splash of color in specific repertoires.
Example: C – Db – E – F – G – Ab – BFormula: 1 – b2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – 7In the formula, the numbers are degrees — positions counted in the reference major scale; "b" lowers a half step and "#" raises one.
Family: Synthetic and specialized scales.
They appear in specific repertoires — concert music, film scores, modern jazz, regional traditions.
Chords in the harmonic field
These are the seven chords born from this scale — one built on each of its notes. Put another way: the set of chords that sounds naturally "inside" the scale. See the harmonic field of every key →
Cmaj7Dbmaj7Fm(maj7)Abmaj7#5The same scale on all four instruments
In the diagrams, each dot carries its scale degree — 1 is the tonic, highlighted.
What you see above is one box of double harmonic (Byzantine) per instrument; the full map lives in the app. In Chord & Fret, you press play and watch each note light up on the diagram the instant it sounds; walk the scale's positions along the whole neck; and choose to start from the tonic or play the full box. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. 100% offline. See it in Chord & Fret →