E 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 E double harmonic (Bhairav) scale has 7 notes: E – F – G♯ – A – B – C – D♯. 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 E major scale it has ♭2 (F instead of F♯), ♭6 (C instead of C♯).

The explorer above is set to E 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.

E double harmonic (Bhairav) scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from E	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	E	R	0	S
♭2	F	m2	1	r
3	G♯	M3	4	G
4	A	P4	5	M
5	B	P5	7	P
♭6	C	m6	8	d
7	D♯	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 E and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

E double harmonic (Bhairav) scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, E double harmonic (Bhairav) has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on E on the low E string at fret 0; 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 0–5	1 4 5	1 4 5	1 2 4	1 2 3	0 2 3	0 1 4
Position 2 frets 1–7	4 5 7	4 5 6	2 4 5	2 3 6	2 3 6	1 4 5
Position 3 frets 3–9	5 7 8	5 6 9	4 5 8	3 6 7	3 6 7	4 5 7
Position 4 frets 5–11	7 8 11	6 9 10	5 8 9	6 7 9	6 7 8	5 7 8
Position 5 frets 7–12	8 11 12	9 10 12	8 9 10	7 9 10	7 8 11	7 8 11
Position 6 frets 8–13	11 12 13	10 12 13	9 10 13	9 10 13	8 11 12	8 11 12
Position 7 frets 10–16	12 13 16	12 13 16	10 13 14	10 13 14	11 12 14	11 12 13

Chords in the E double harmonic (Bhairav) scale

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

	I	♭II	iii	iv	V	♭VI+	vii
Triad	E	F	G♯m	Am	Badd♯11	Caug	D♯7
7th chord	Emaj7	Fmaj7	G♯m6	AmMaj7	B7♭5	Cmaj7♯5	D♯7

Where you hear it

E 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 E double harmonic (Bhairav)

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 0–5) 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 E (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on E.