D Double Harmonic (Bhairav) Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The D double harmonic (Bhairav) scale has 7 notes: D – E♭ – F♯ – G – A – B♭ – C♯. The double harmonic major has a ♭2 and a ♭6 around a major 3rd and major 7th: two gaps of three frets. In India it is Bhairav thaat, the morning raga scale; elsewhere it is called the Arabic or Byzantine scale.

Compared with the D major scale it has ♭2 (E♭ instead of E), ♭6 (B♭ instead of B).

The explorer above is set to D double harmonic (Bhairav): the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

D double harmonic (Bhairav) scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from D	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	D	R	0	S
♭2	E♭	m2	1	r
3	F♯	M3	4	G
4	G	P4	5	M
5	A	P5	7	P
♭6	B♭	m6	8	d
7	C♯	M7	11	N

Steps between the notes: H W+H H W H W+H H (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any D and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

D double harmonic (Bhairav) scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, D double harmonic (Bhairav) has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on D on the low E string at fret 10; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 10–15	11 14 15	11 14 15	11 12 14	11 12 13	10 12 13	10 11 14
Position 2 frets 11–17	14 15 17	14 15 16	12 14 15	12 13 16	12 13 16	11 14 15
Position 3 frets 13–19	15 17 18	15 16 19	14 15 18	13 16 17	13 16 17	14 15 17
Position 4 frets 15–21	17 18 21	16 19 20	15 18 19	16 17 19	16 17 18	15 17 18
Position 5 frets 17–22	18 21 22	19 20 22	18 19 20	17 19 20	17 18 21	17 18 21
Position 6 frets 6–11	9 10 11	8 10 11	7 8 11	7 8 11	6 9 10	6 9 10
Position 7 frets 8–14	10 11 14	10 11 14	8 11 12	8 11 12	9 10 12	9 10 11

Chords in the D double harmonic (Bhairav) scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in D double harmonic (Bhairav) is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	I	♭II	iii	iv	V	♭VI+	vii
Triad	D	E♭	F♯m	Gm	Aadd♯11	B♭aug	C♯7
7th chord	Dmaj7	E♭maj7	F♯m6	GmMaj7	A7♭5	B♭maj7♯5	C♯7

Where you hear it

D double harmonic (Bhairav) is used in Indian classical and film music, Middle Eastern music and metal. It sounds best over a major or major 7th chord on the root, and a I – ♭II move.

Backing tracks to practise D double harmonic (Bhairav)

D blues shuffle D slow blues D major pop D major ballad D jazz ii – V – I D Mixolydian rock

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 10–15) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every D (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on D.