F♯ / G♭ 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 F♯ double harmonic (Bhairav) scale has 7 notes: F♯ – G – A♯ – B – C♯ – D – E♯. 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.

F♯ and G♭ are the same pitch, so this page covers both names; the notes are spelled from F♯, the way the key is usually written. Compared with the F♯ major scale it has ♭2 (G instead of G♯), ♭6 (D instead of D♯).

The explorer above is set to F♯ 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.

F♯ double harmonic (Bhairav) scale notes

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

F♯ double harmonic (Bhairav) scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, F♯ double harmonic (Bhairav) has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on F♯ on the low E string at fret 2; 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 2–7	3 6 7	3 6 7	3 4 6	3 4 5	2 4 5	2 3 6
Position 2 frets 3–9	6 7 9	6 7 8	4 6 7	4 5 8	4 5 8	3 6 7
Position 3 frets 5–11	7 9 10	7 8 11	6 7 10	5 8 9	5 8 9	6 7 9
Position 4 frets 7–13	9 10 13	8 11 12	7 10 11	8 9 11	8 9 10	7 9 10
Position 5 frets 9–14	10 13 14	11 12 14	10 11 12	9 11 12	9 10 13	9 10 13
Position 6 frets 10–15	13 14 15	12 14 15	11 12 15	11 12 15	10 13 14	10 13 14
Position 7 frets 12–18	14 15 18	14 15 18	12 15 16	12 15 16	13 14 16	13 14 15

Chords in the F♯ double harmonic (Bhairav) scale

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

	I	♭II	iii	iv	V	♭VI+	vii
Triad	F♯	G	A♯m	Bm	C♯add♯11	Daug	E♯7
7th chord	F♯maj7	Gmaj7	A♯m6	BmMaj7	C♯7♭5	Dmaj7♯5	E♯7

Where you hear it

F♯ 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 F♯ double harmonic (Bhairav)

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 2–7) 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 F♯ (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on F♯.