E Double Harmonic

The notes, the palindrome, and the broken harmony

Take the Phrygian Dominant pack and raise the 7th: D becomes D#. That's the whole change, and it breaks the scale in an interesting way. E Double Harmonic Major — also called the Byzantine scale, or Hijaz Kar in the maqam tradition — has two augmented seconds (F→G# and C→D#) and it is a palindrome: H, A2, H, W, H, A2, H. The same shape going up as coming down, mirrored around the A. Very few seven-note scales do that, and it's why lines in this mode feel like they have no top and no bottom.

The harmony is where it gets esoteric. Stack thirds and you don't get a tidy set of major, minor and diminished chords:

*The chord built on D# is D#–F–A: its "third" is a whole step. It isn't really a triad. That's not a mistake in the scale, it's the scale telling you that tertian harmony only half-applies here. The chords that do work — E, F, Am, C+ — are the ones to build vamps on.

Three vamps: E → F (the same flamenco move as before, but now the E has a leading tone under it so it resolves harder), E → C+ → E (the augmented chord shares E and G# with the tonic, so it sounds like the tonic chord bending), and Am(maj7) → E (Hungarian minor territory: the 4th mode of this scale is A Hungarian Minor, so anything you play over Am here is that scale for free).

How to hear it: Phrygian Dominant was "E7 with sour notes". This is Emaj7 with sour notes — a major seventh chord with the b2 and b6 hanging off it. If you've used Lydian over maj7 chords, this is the opposite pole: Lydian floats upward, this leans in on the root from both sides.

Position zones (whole neck)

Zone 1 — open / 1st position

e|----------------------------------------------0--1--4--|
B|-------------------------------------0--1--4-----------|
G|----------------------------1--2--4--------------------|
D|-------------------1--2--3-----------------------------|
A|----------0--2--3--------------------------------------|
E|-0--1--4-----------------------------------------------|

Zone 2 — 2nd–5th fret

e|----------------------------------4--5--|
B|----------------------------4--5--------|
G|-------------------2--4--5--------------|
D|-------------2--3-----------------------|
A|-------2--3-----------------------------|
E|-4--5-----------------------------------|

Zone 3 — 4th–8th fret

e|----------------------------------------------4--5--7--8--|
B|-------------------------------------4--5--6--------------|
G|----------------------------4--5--8-----------------------|
D|----------------------6--7--------------------------------|
A|-------------6--7--8--------------------------------------|
E|-4--5--7--8-----------------------------------------------|

Zone 4 — 7th–10th fret

e|----------------------------------------7--8--|
B|---------------------------------9--10--------|
G|-----------------------8--9--10---------------|
D|-------------7--9--10-------------------------|
A|-------7--8-----------------------------------|
E|-7--8-----------------------------------------|

Zone 5 — 9th–13th fret

e|----------------------------------------------------------11--12--13--|
B|-------------------------------------------9--10--12--13--------------|
G|--------------------------------9--10--13-----------------------------|
D|---------------------9--10--13----------------------------------------|
A|-------------11--12---------------------------------------------------|
E|-11--12--13-----------------------------------------------------------|

Zone 6 — 12th position (octave of zone 1)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------12--13--16--|
B|-------------------------------------------------12--13--16--------------|
G|-------------------------------------13--14--16--------------------------|
D|-------------------------13--14--15--------------------------------------|
A|-------------12--14--15--------------------------------------------------|
E|-12--13--16--------------------------------------------------------------|

Root E is on: low E 0/12, A 7, D 2/14, G 9, B 5, high e 0/12. In every zone, find the E first, then the F above it and the D# below it. Root with a half step on either side — that pinch is the sound; the other four notes are connective tissue.

Drill per zone: ascend and descend in quavers at 80 bpm, then play only the 1–b2–3 cluster in that zone, then ascend the zone but stop on every F and every D# and resolve both to E — one from above, one from below.

Three-notes-per-string patterns

Seven patterns, one per scale degree, three notes on every string. Patterns are given from a sensible starting fret; they repeat 12 frets up. Alternate pick throughout — there are two augmented seconds (F→G# and C→D#) and both are three-fret stretches; in some patterns they land on adjacent strings, which is the awkward bit these are for.

Pattern 1 — starts on E (1)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------13--16--17--|
B|-------------------------------------------------13--16--17--------------|
G|-------------------------------------13--14--16--------------------------|
D|-------------------------13--14--15--------------------------------------|
A|-------------12--14--15--------------------------------------------------|
E|-12--13--16--------------------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 2 — starts on F (b2)

e|----------------------------------------------4--5--7--|
B|-------------------------------------4--5--6-----------|
G|----------------------------2--4--5--------------------|
D|-------------------2--3--6-----------------------------|
A|----------2--3--6--------------------------------------|
E|-1--4--5-----------------------------------------------|

Pattern 3 — starts on G# (3)

e|----------------------------------------------5--7--8--|
B|-------------------------------------5--6--9-----------|
G|----------------------------4--5--8--------------------|
D|-------------------3--6--7-----------------------------|
A|----------3--6--7--------------------------------------|
E|-4--5--7-----------------------------------------------|

Pattern 4 — starts on A (4)

e|-----------------------------------------------7--8--11--|
B|-------------------------------------6--9--10------------|
G|----------------------------5--8--9----------------------|
D|-------------------6--7--9-------------------------------|
A|----------6--7--8----------------------------------------|
E|-5--7--8-------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 5 — starts on B (5)

e|----------------------------------------------------8--11--12--|
B|-----------------------------------------9--10--12-------------|
G|-------------------------------8--9--10------------------------|
D|---------------------7--9--10----------------------------------|
A|-----------7--8--11--------------------------------------------|
E|-7--8--11------------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 6 — starts on C (b6)

e|---------------------------------------------------------11--12--13--|
B|---------------------------------------------10--12--13--------------|
G|----------------------------------9--10--13--------------------------|
D|-----------------------9--10--13-------------------------------------|
A|------------8--11--12------------------------------------------------|
E|-8--11--12-----------------------------------------------------------|

Pattern 7 — starts on D# (7)

e|-------------------------------------------------------------12--13--16--|
B|-------------------------------------------------12--13--16--------------|
G|-------------------------------------10--13--14--------------------------|
D|-------------------------10--13--14--------------------------------------|
A|-------------11--12--14--------------------------------------------------|
E|-11--12--13--------------------------------------------------------------|

Sequences to run through every pattern

• Fours: 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6 … (the Paul Gilbert one)
• Threes: 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5 … — this is the natural 3NPS grouping, so it accents the string changes
• Thirds: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5 … — this exposes both augmented seconds; D#–F is a whole step called a third, and you'll hear it
• Sixes descending: 6-5-4-3-2-1 from the top of each string pair — the Henderson-ish shape

Triad positions — E, F, C+ and Am

Closed voicings, three inversions, four string sets. Three chords matter: E major (home), F major (b2, one fret up from every E shape) and C augmented (bVI+, which shares two notes with E and is symmetrical, so every C+ shape is also an E+ and a G#+ shape).

E major (E G# B)

strings e B G   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|-0--4--7--12--|
B|-0--5--9--12--|
G|-1--4--9--13--|
D|--------------|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

strings B G D   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|--------------|
B|-0--5--9--12--|
G|-1--4--9--13--|
D|-2--6--9--14--|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

strings G D A   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-1--4--9---13--|
D|-2--6--9---14--|
A|-2--7--11--14--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-2--6--9---|
A|-2--7--11--|
E|-4--7--12--|

F major (F A C)

strings e B G   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|-1--5--8---13--|
B|-1--6--10--13--|
G|-2--5--10--14--|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings B G D   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|---------------|
B|-1--6--10--13--|
G|-2--5--10--14--|
D|-3--7--10--15--|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings G D A   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-2--5--10--14--|
D|-3--7--10--15--|
A|-3--8--12--15--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-3--7--10--|
A|-3--8--12--|
E|-5--8--13--|

C augmented (C E G#)

strings e B G   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|-0--4--8--12--|
B|-1--5--9--13--|
G|-1--5--9--13--|
D|--------------|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

strings B G D   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|---------------|
B|-1--5--9---13--|
G|-1--5--9---13--|
D|-2--6--10--14--|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings G D A   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-1--5--9---13--|
D|-2--6--10--14--|
A|-3--7--11--15--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-2--6--10--|
A|-3--7--11--|
E|-4--8--12--|

A minor (A C E)

strings e B G   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root

e|-0--5--8---12--|
B|-1--5--10--13--|
G|-2--5--9---14--|
D|---------------|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings B G D   2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|---------------|
B|-1--5--10--13--|
G|-2--5--9---14--|
D|-2--7--10--14--|
A|---------------|
E|---------------|

strings G D A   1st inv  ·  2nd inv  ·  root  ·  1st inv

e|---------------|
B|---------------|
G|-2--5--9---14--|
D|-2--7--10--14--|
A|-3--7--12--15--|
E|---------------|

strings D A E   root  ·  1st inv  ·  2nd inv

e|-----------|
B|-----------|
G|-----------|
D|-2--7--10--|
A|-3--7--12--|
E|-5--8--12--|

Drill: pick a string set. E → F → E on every inversion, as before. Then E → C+ → E: the C+ shape is the E shape with the B pushed up to C, so it's one finger moving. Then the long cadence: Am → C+ → E — iv → bVI+ → I, the sound of the whole scale in three chords.

Augmented triads only have one shape per string set (it repeats every four frets), so the C+ section looks redundant. It isn't: the shape at fret 1, fret 5 and fret 9 is the same chord, and all three are available as a colour over E.

Sixths and thirds — where they are

Harmonised scale on string pairs. Sixths are the money interval for this mode — they sound like a Spanish guitar or an Ennio Morricone cue on their own — and they're where Landau lives when he's playing "chordal" lines. Thirds are included because two of the diatonic thirds are augmented (F–G#, C–D#) and one is really a whole step (D#–F), so the harmonised-3rds line lurches in a way no major or minor scale does. Worth knowing where.

Pairs are lower-string / upper-string. Read each column as one two-note chord, ascending the neck.

Diatonic 6ths

G / e

e|-0--1--4--5--7--8--11--12--13--|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-1--2--4--5--8--9--10--13--14--|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|

D / B

e|-------------------------------|
B|-0--1--4--5--6--9--10--12--13--|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-1--2--3--6--7--9--10--13--14--|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|

A / G

e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|-1--2--4--5--8--9---10--13--14--|
D|--------------------------------|
A|-2--3--6--7--8--11--12--14--15--|
E|--------------------------------|

E / D

e|----------------------------|
B|----------------------------|
G|----------------------------|
D|-1--2--3--6--7--9---10--13--|
A|----------------------------|
E|-1--4--5--7--8--11--12--13--|

Diatonic 3rds

B / e

e|-0--1--4--5--7--8---11--12--|
B|-1--4--5--6--9--10--12--13--|
G|----------------------------|
D|----------------------------|
A|----------------------------|
E|----------------------------|

G / B

e|-------------------------------|
B|-0--1--4--5--6--9--10--12--13--|
G|-1--2--4--5--8--9--10--13--14--|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|

D / G

e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|-1--2--4--5--8--9---10--13--14--|
D|-2--3--6--7--9--10--13--14--15--|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

A / D

e|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|-1--2--3--6--7--9---10--13--14--|
A|-2--3--6--7--8--11--12--14--15--|
E|--------------------------------|

Drill for 6ths: play the G/e pair ascending with a light palm mute and a slow tremolo picking on each pair (flamenco). Then play them as hybrid-picked pairs (pick + middle finger) with slides between positions — that's the Landau move. Finally, play only the pairs whose lower note is D#, E or F and rock between them: that's the harmonised leading tone → root → b2 and it's the pinch in two notes.

Arpeggios in one zone

Four arpeggios, each in one zone (7th–10th fret area, so they overlap the zone-4 scale above). Every one of these is a subset of the same seven notes, so once the scale is under your fingers these are just "leave some out".

Emaj7 (E G# B D#)

home — a maj7 chord, but the scale around it is anything but

e|-------------------7--|
B|----------------9-----|
G|----------8--9--------|
D|-------9--------------|
A|----7-----------------|
E|-7--------------------|

Fmaj7 (F A C E)

bII; over E it gives b2, 4, b6 and root

e|----------------------------8--|
B|------------------------10-----|
G|-----------------9--10---------|
D|----------7--10----------------|
A|----7--8-----------------------|
E|-8-----------------------------|

Am(maj7) (A C E G#)

iv with a major 7th — the Hungarian minor sound

e|------------------------8--|
B|-----------------9--10-----|
G|--------------9------------|
D|-------7--10---------------|
A|----7----------------------|
E|-8-------------------------|

Cmaj7#5 (C E G# B)

bVI+; C E G# is symmetrical so this is also E+ and G#+ with a B on top

e|-----------------------7--8--|
B|--------------------9--------|
G|-----------------9-----------|
D|----------9--10--------------|
A|-------7---------------------|
E|-7--8------------------------|

Drill: over an E drone, Emaj7 up, Fmaj7 down. Then Am(maj7) up, C+ down, land on E. Then play Emaj7 and Am(maj7) back to back: they share only E and G#, yet sound like the same place. That's the mirror symmetry doing its thing.

Vocabulary

Lick 1 — the pinch

D# → E → F → E: root approached from below then above. Then the same idea an octave down on the G string (D# 8, E 9). End on low E.

e|-11--12--13--12--------------------------------|
B|-----------------12--13--12--------------------|
G|-----------------------------9--8--9-----------|
D|--------------------------------------9--7-----|
A|--------------------------------------------7--|
E|-----------------------------------------------|

Lick 2 — palindrome line

Reads the same forwards and backwards on the top string, then a second palindrome on the B string centred on the B itself. This is the scale's own symmetry as a phrase.

e|-12--13--16--17--16--13--12----------------------------|
B|-----------------------------9--10--12--13--12--10--9--|
G|-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|

Lick 3 — sixths through both gaps

Five pairs up, four back. You cross both augmented seconds on the way; the slide into the pair with D# on the bottom is the ugly-beautiful bit.

e|-7--8--11--12--13--12--11--8--7--|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-8--9--10--13--14--13--10--9--8--|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|

Lick 4 — Am(maj7) into E

Descends through A C E G# and then falls through F to E. Use over Am → E, or over a static E to imply the iv.

e|-12---------------------------------|
B|-----13--10-------------------------|
G|-------------13--9------------------|
D|--------------------10--7--6--------|
A|------------------------------8--7--|
E|------------------------------------|

Lick 5 — low riff with the leading tone

Open E riff. The D# is on the low E at fret 11 — a jump, but the point is the leading tone under the root. Palm mute, straight eights.

e|-----------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------3--2--0-----------|
E|-0--1--0--11--0--1--0--4--0-----------4--1--0--|

Week plan

Backing: E drone first. Then E ↔ F, then add the Am(maj7) → C+ → E turnaround. When it's in, play the 4th mode — same notes over an A minor drone — and you're playing A Hungarian Minor. Move the whole thing up five frets and it's A Double Harmonic over your A-root drone.