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

The explorer above is set to G 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.

G double harmonic (Bhairav) scale notes

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

G double harmonic (Bhairav) scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, G double harmonic (Bhairav) has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on G on the low E string at fret 3; 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 3–8	4 7 8	4 7 8	4 5 7	4 5 6	3 5 6	3 4 7
Position 2 frets 4–10	7 8 10	7 8 9	5 7 8	5 6 9	5 6 9	4 7 8
Position 3 frets 6–12	8 10 11	8 9 12	7 8 11	6 9 10	6 9 10	7 8 10
Position 4 frets 8–14	10 11 14	9 12 13	8 11 12	9 10 12	9 10 11	8 10 11
Position 5 frets 10–15	11 14 15	12 13 15	11 12 13	10 12 13	10 11 14	10 11 14
Position 6 frets 11–16	14 15 16	13 15 16	12 13 16	12 13 16	11 14 15	11 14 15
Position 7 frets 13–19	15 16 19	15 16 19	13 16 17	13 16 17	14 15 17	14 15 16

Chords in the G double harmonic (Bhairav) scale

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

	I	♭II	iii	iv	V	♭VI+	vii
Triad	G	A♭	Bm	Cm	Dadd♯11	E♭aug	F♯7
7th chord	Gmaj7	A♭maj7	Bm6	CmMaj7	D7♭5	E♭maj7♯5	F♯7

Where you hear it

G 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 G double harmonic (Bhairav)

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

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 3–8) 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 G (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on G.