The Mystery of the Double Harmonic Major Scale

[@brigidwell]

A single video like this is seriously more valuable than many of the music classes in undergrad.

[@SpitfireRoad]

Classically trained here. Never heard these scales in theory classes. Played some of them in context of the piano pieces I learned, but these scales speak to me in altogether new ways.

[@GlennFiddles]

This is actually one of the most common interval sets in middle Eastern maqam. It's called Hijazkar/Hicazkar. You can find lots of great instrumental compositions, improvisations (taksim), and songs in this maqam in Turkish and Arabic traditions. Nice work. The derived modes sound amazing in your compositions.

[@JPVillalobos27]

In Hindustani music this would be Raag Bhairav.

[@johnsuede]

My father, who was a professional bouzouki player who learned his craft in the port bars of Greece from the old time rembetiko masters, taught me this scale 50 years ago when I was a kid. I wish I had learned more from him when I had the chance.

[@EllaSilentDragon]

I wonder if that’s what Dimash uses with his melismas in Story Of One Sky and Stranger (among others). They always sound very oriental to me. No idea about music theory. But maybe someone knows…😅

[@yanniszacharopoulos4939]

Can you tell us the name of the turkish or arabic musician found this you call maqam ?? go learn and then speak, information is one thing and knowledge is another !

[@kinawellas4356]

Also Byzantine Music. Echos Plagios B.

[@We-all-watched-the-video]

THIS is the rick beato I’ve missed!

[@ericprincen3345]

I miss these, Rick. Brings me back to the beginning of my time watching.

[@privateer2584]

Exactly what I was thinking. Although I love what the channel has grown into, I do miss all the theory content.

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

was thinking the same thing.

[@kospandx]

I've really missed these types of videos. Loving this!

[@davidsummerville351]

I've missed them as well.

[@kospandx]

@@kierenmoore3236So are recorded tracks and artist interviews. The interesting part is what is being done with them.

[@GiuseppeVigliotti]

Same here

[@giovi.0]

Fantastic lesson. For those interested in the mystical aspect of music it could be added that the double harmonic is a palindromic scale with same pattern of intervals ascending and descending. Rick had covered this in another wonderful lesson.

[@fretlessfender]

And this is why Rick's one of the best music channel ever....

[@M2Mil7er]

two of the best music channels. This is the 2nd channel 😋

[@samstamos427]

Dick Dale's cover of "Misirlou" (Surfer's Choice, 1975) is probably the most recognized song of the Double Harmonic Major. Misirlou is an old-time Greek Rebetiko style song popularized in the early 20th century, it origins are debated about in the reaches of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is actually a slow and sultry lover's lament. Modern day Greek Vocalist "Glykeria" performs a wonderful example of "Misirlou", You Tube videos with the Greek lyrics and English transliteration are worth your time if you would care to listen..

[@swissarmyknight4306]

If anyone is wondering what "Misirlou" is about, its about a forbidden romance between a Greek man (singing) and an Egyptian woman ("Misirlou" means "Egyptian girl") who the song is about.

[@samstamos427]

@@swissarmyknight4306 Yeah, he was "Love Struck, Baby!" Poor fella...

[@dickstryker]

Thatks for the heads up. I love that song and it's relly cool having a historic rabit hole to dive down now. Appreciate ya, hommie.

[@xxczerxx]

I think that song is fascinating in that it created an entirely new sound by playing a known tune in a totally different style.

[@ulfdanielsen6009]

Just listened to Glykeria performing a slow and mesmerizing version of the song. Much better than the upbeat surf version if you ask me. Perfect for a slow heavy grinding unsettling metal version with lots of eastern mediterranian/middle eastern flavour.

[@Perrples]

Ricky, baby… please keep teaching. Music needs you, we need you!

[@spanqueluv9er]

@BonySopraneaux His name is ^*Rick, not Ricky. Sit down.🤡🤡🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️💩🙄

[@zachrowe1511]

I wish you went over the chords each scale could make. The flat 2 mode having access to both the major and minor third is trippy to me and I would love for you to revisit the topic and point out other details like that

[@Veepee92]

Technically speaking the b4 of Ultraphrygian is only a major third in 12-tone equal temperament; in all other tunings that support diatonic scales it would be indeed a distinct diminished fourth that cannot be used as a 5/4. Instead, one should probably treat it like a 9/7 or 13/10 or even some higher-limit interval (34/27, 24/19). I would find that to be even more interesting!

[@nightnoodler812]

Really like the G Ultraphrygian starting at 5:00, love those runs. The interchange of the dynamics, playing off each other, that was cool.

[@RandalSmith]

Why am I hearing Keith Emerson all over this? This is unbelievably beautiful. Otherworldly. Never heard of Nahre Sol before, but I will be doing a deep dive into her music after hearing this.

[@crimfan]

She’s got a great channel herself. Excellent pianist.

[@vze2gsgr]

I thought the same, re: Keith Emerson. At other moments, it sounded like Schoenberg.

[@reasonsreasonably]

@@vze2gsgr I don’t hear Emerson myself. Have any examples of Keith’s work that exemplifies the similarity to this composition?

[@weswill5]

I love Rick's interviews but this is the stuff I started following him for.

[@rdspam]

Never thought I’d see the Locrian double flat 3 double flat 7….anywhere. One of my favorite ultra-obscure scales.

[@jonfobes8448]

You should really consider doing soundtrack music for film! If I can win three Emmys, you can certainly win three Oscars!

[@aaronsmith2611]

Listening to the composition, that's exactly what I was thinking. It sounds like a score for a movie.

[@rhesreeves5339]

Me 3

[@markyymarkXL]

Dude's recording Smithsonian worth interviews with legendary musicians, I think he'll be fine without an "Emmy".

[@cinders302]

Well, in spite of the silliness taking place in LaLa Land, I'm betting that Mr. Beato would still appreciate a Grammy or three. The fellow indicated that since he was capable of winning Emmys that RB is worthy of Grammys. It's a fair compliment.

[@africkinamerican]

I've been assuming he already does film score work.

[@mdmorris6193]

I love using the double harmonic major starting on D. Makes this really easy-to-visualise pattern on the keyboard.

[@Avlis_music]

This is a beautiful piece that acts as an inspiration and a great resource with the transparency of the accompanying information. Next level stuff. You are at the cutting edge Rick Beato! What a legend.

[@brianhalaburda]

Really good stuff here! Missed this kind of "early-Rick" videos but is nice to have a new one. Beautiful composition with Nahre Sol.

[@TartempionLampion]

Could you please post the composition alone in a video? It's beautiful!

[@JPVillalobos27]

In Hindustani music this structure is called Raag Bhairav.

[@davidf2281]

It's all fun and games with the flats until you're on your tricycle with triple flats and no spare phyrygian inner tubes.

[@lucraymond2198]

Lmao 🤦‍♂️

[@martinheath5947]

Every Phrygian time

[@gregamann2327]

That’s sooooo bad! 👍

[@Johnkiernanmusic]

😂😂

[@singthroughyourguitar]

Lol 😂

[@latheofheaven1017]

A piece co-written by Beato and Nahre Sol! Wonderful!

[@thormusique]

Bravo, beautifully rendered and exquisitely played! These kinds of fully fleshed examples are wonderful because they're much more illustrative of the 'world' of a particular scale than, say, simply noodling over a tonic drone. The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic variety gives a great sense of the breadth of possibilities. Cheers!

[@Rondo2ooo]

Glad to see or hear a collaboration between two of my favorite music channels on YT since many years.

[@thecarm27]

Videos with this type of information are among my favorite of what you do

[@chameleon-dream-band-official]

I remember an older RB video on the DHM scale and it blew the doors open to my creativity. Wrote a song based on it. Hungarian minor is basically on my "must use" list when writing solos. From then, I've basically started to look into all the other parent scales (and their modes) and, man, what an complete shift in how I approach song writing. I will always be grateful to Rick for this.

[@joewoodhead2712]

Brilliant my man. I was searching the Internet for references to this scale a few weeks ago and I struggled to find anything... Such a beautiful scale with so much potential and mystery. I've been trying to incorporate it into Jams with my band using Indian instruments and percussion

[@SamTahbou]

Thank you, So Nahre was involved too, didn't realize it before getting to the second half

[@samwebber3109]

the examples are crazy good

[@carlosmedinacifre]

Dear Mr. Rick Beato, this is one of my favourite lessons you've ever did. Thank you for discovering me this amazing new sonic palet and congratulations to Nahre Sol and to you for this great modal compositions you've done based on this scale combined with the beauty of the images.

[@MatthewMartinGuitar]

Love the unsolved mysteries thumbnail!! Great lesson as always, Rick

[@LSLS1]

5:01 This absolutely should be implemented in some Dream Theater song

[@samseasmusic8933]

I have always loved the Hungarian minor. I have never thought of it as a mode of another scale so this was a treat! Such beautiful sounds. Mystery is deff the right description. Keep em' coming Rick. Love the channel!

[@TheEnderBand]

I always really enjoyed what I believe is called the Byzantine scale- I really like how it's kind of a mirror image of itself going up to the octave and how a lot of the shapes look because of that symmetry. I use it all the time- my favorite "exotic" scale

[@jessejames5081]

This video and the Satriani /Vai interview are my absolute favorites that you've done. Love this video! And love the composition...WOW 🤯

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

This definitely invokes some specific feelings and thoughts. Kind of melancholy and mysterious, but not too much. I can imagine soloing over that composition with a minor scale and really driving home that feeling of sadness tinged with hope. Hard to put it into words. And this is the first time I have ever heard of the scale.

[@horhewilhemson6007]

That sequence of modes is that perfect representation of why equal temperment is a tricky subject to get around to. It took me literally years to figure it out. Originating from Greece and having two ways of listening music the western way (equal temperment) and the influence coming from the 72 equal temperament used in byzantine music

[@johnanello3352]

Love this video!! Love how you mentioned to modulate keys so you here the modes for the intervals they don't share. I was just trying to explain that to my brother in law as a student of guitar when teaching him the standard modes.

[@magick1969]

Loved the arrangements and changes in tempo to highlight the scales and its many modes.

[@avishaid]

Thanks for the video Rick, the Double harmonic major scale is identical to an Indian raga called Bhairav if I am not mistaken. Love it!

[@williamrobinson7435]

I remember this too, as Bhirava I believe. 🎶🌟👍

[@davidraiklen4521]

Incredible composition, stunning performance, and gorgeous video! Nahre Sol is an amazing virtuoso. The many faces of these modes are well illustrated too. This should be on your main channel also, real art. Thank you.

[@johnferngrove4083]

That composition was really remarkable. I'm really quite blown away by it. Knowing music like that is out there reminds me why I hardly ever listen to rock music these days.

[@woodreauxwoodreaux6298]

This piece was great. And doing it to demo all these semi-uncommon modes is a fantastic concept.

[@johnjulian8914]

Great video! Thank you for covering these! They seldom get taught, but SHOULD be. These are beautful!

[@gazmo88]

These sounds have haunted me for years, viz Ralph Towner "Oregon Crossing" not to mention countless film sound tracks. I could obviously play them but now I know whats going on !! Thank you very much - months of enjoyment ahead.

[@edwardjons8684]

Wow. This is inspiring. So many colours to play with here. Congratulations to Rick and Nahre for putting together such a beautiful illustration.

[@bitburg40]

Too bad Rick couldn’t give her channel a shout out. 🤪

[@Manley156]

I haven't clicked on a Rick Video in a very long time, but I saw the title and was happy to see some theory application and exploring sounds.

[@ronvillarreal5003]

In college we called the first scale with the two augmented 2nd intervals a "gypsy minor".

[@jondhuse1549]

That's what the Django Reinhardt-style guitarist John Jorgenson called it, too.

[@x189player4]

My ears really appreciate these tonal areas - thank you Rick!!!

[@nohjoh08]

Very nice! I loved that piece at the end!

[@TheRetroBassist]

I really, REALLY miss this kind of music theory content on the main channel, that's what made me subscribe to Rick's channel in the first place many years ago. At least we can find it here now. Anyways, the Double Harmonic Major has been my favorite scale for a long time, even before I knew its "academic" name. Back then I used to hear people referring to it as the "Arabic" scale.

[@thrutheveil74]

I firmly believe that the best way to think about scales and modes is that they are simply different musical "colors". Once you identify what those colors are you can utilize them as needed.

[@KennethGonzalez]

I love that you had @NahreSol as a collaborator on this! Super cool 👍😁

[@robertmaccreight4910]

The variety that you can get out of these scales are amazing.

[@ScottfromBaltimore]

Rick, I like when you demonstrate the triads and the 7 chords tied in each note of the scale. Also, as has already been said, Miserlou.

[@jeffkelty6636]

Not just informative, but absolutely beautiful music. Thank you!

[@conradgittins4476]

Very nicely played by Nahre Sol.

[@RichardLacyMusic]

Rick did a great video on this about six years ago. Good to have another!

[@prayerXtantra]

One of my favourite scales! So rich in dissonances❤

[@alexeykulikov2739]

I think this is interesting, inspiring and unique. Nahre Sol’s name a quality guarantee.

[@edzielinski]

Wow! I love these compositions, and this is a smash! The very beginning of this sounds very evocative of a famous Rachmaninoff theme, which may be due to the similar tonalities, so I need to check that out. I find these scale explorations endlessly fascinating.

[@williamrobinson7435]

I also heard a touch of Rachmaninov in the first mode example. 🎶🌟👍

[@unmanifest6307]

This was excellent. Please more like this. I know it was fun as hell to compose that too

[@Stretch09]

I'm so glad I found this video. I love unique and odd scales, and as a guitar player I want to incorporate more of the unusual to try and come up with new stuff.... buuuuut knowing of these odd things is the problem. Thank you for doing these types of videos!!! I'm not sure how I would've found out about these and learned they were all connected to the one scale/mode.

[@rhesreeves5339]

That was AWESOME! I love the tonalities of the different modes and can't wait to write with them.

[@AtariForeva]

I feel bad for skipping my solfeggio classes back in my formative years, I remember this vaguely but now perhaps is the time to learn it.

[@em_the_bee]

Nah, you don't need classes for this. I'd suggest to take it step by step; write something in minor, then harmonic minor, then phrygian dominant, then double harmonic and then the other modes. Made much more sense to me this way.

[@Joe_Murphy-REV_Realty]

Stunningly beautiful!! WHO is playing piano on these? What a beast of a player! ...... ALSO!! As a Nashvillian, I love the "Nashville cameo"! Downtown at Broadway and 4th Street. I lived on 5th Ave for 7 years, on 5th Ave down from the Ryman Auditorium. Thank you, Rick!

[@mccloysong]

That gorgeous composition needs a movie written around it.

[@joeyrodriguez1177]

This has been my favorite scale since I accidentally discovered it. I'm currently working on a song in this scale. I might argue it's in Hungarian minor but it's hard to say.

[@stephenreese9841]

I thought this was awsome Rick... I don't think I can explain how intricate the notes, and especially the piano playing was... Well done.

[@markpontin3720]

I've been using this scale for about 15 years and where I figured it out from was -- of all places -- Miles Davis's late 1950's composition 'Nardis,' which uses it to bookend its A sections. As others point out, this isn't an uncommon scale at all in Middle Eastern and even Eastern European contexts.

[@SeanClarkeMusic]

Such a magnificent composition & demonstration of applying the scale, wow 🙏✨ I'm inspired to explore!

[@koraamis5568]

definitively I prefer this type of compositions to the top spotify BS. Would be nice to hear more collabs with Sol and others.

[@celticc9580]

30 years ago I got digging into exotic scaled and found the Double Harmonic Minor and Hungarian Minor but never knew what the other modes were called. Mystery solved. I did have the Oriental, but my notes had a b6 so maybe I had a typo, and it was actually supposed to be as you listed. I never could find accurate documentation in the early 90s, and still, I see the "gypsy" scale being an alternate name for both the Double Harmonic Minot and the Hungarian minor. Beautiful sounds regardless.

[@masonc9531]

I think it's supposed to be Gypsy Major for Double Harmonic Major, and Gypsy Minor for Hungarian Minor. But I'm not 100% sure on that and I'm sure people just use "gypsy" to refer to either one.

[@celticc9580]

@@masonc9531 Good point. That is probably it.

[@sizaiza]

Very nice composition you pulled of as usual Rick!

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

Be really cool to see a score for the composition. Awesome video, Rick.

[@sixstringemotion]

Geeez, Rick..... that music is beautiful!!! Are notes words an ankle "I'll be bawk...." widda gittaw!

[@omaslo]

That's fantastic harmonies out there. Such a great compositions! Thank you for explanations Rick. Really appreciated!

[@UrbanGarden-rf5op]

@ 1:57 The Hungarian mode example triggered a cimbalom sound in my mind. The cimbalom is a kind of dulcimer that you play using oversized chop sticks. Like the Hungarian version of the vibraphone/marimba/... Traditional Hungarian cimbalom music uses a lot of odd meters and unusual tonalities. Well worth checking out if you're a music nerd, like me.

[@larryseyer]

Wow! You should score some movies. Very cool sounding.

[@keithfrugal]

In carnatic music (south indian music) this scale is quite common and it is called 'mayamalavgaula'. Check out Rama Mani's composition 'Dawn' by the Jazz Yatra Sextet.

[@TheMaxKids]

Glad to see these videos and your compositions again!

[@CarsGuitarsARs]

Darn, Rick this is cool and very informal. One can understand how a composer makes this sort of music when you also understand the modal structures

[@williamrobinson7435]

This is SO cool; I like the fact that you've transposed up a half tone for each, so you get the flavour of each independently; I mean, you've got to do this even with the common natural modes, really, as people DO get stuck on the difference, say, between c Ionian and b Locrian. I am interested in the 'Idiomatic Sonic Territories' afforded by the modes on particular notes with certain instruments; given standard tuning, does The Lydian Upon E, f'rinstance, with guitar speak 'wide open spaces', or am I the only fool who thinks this? Great content Rick. It's so refreshing to have serious stuff about creative music. Oh, and the piece is gorgeous, the visuals also! Do I detect the touch of E. W. Quantum in the kbd writing? Impressive and nice too! 🎶🌟👍

[@timothykraft9245]

Great video pacing. Short, succinct, without too much background information.

[@skeletonbow]

Loved this Rick, great sounding scale, and great composition, very emotive!

[@johnhajewski1343]

Man. I mean this is amazing. And like no big deal… it would take me a month to compose… thank you Rick!

[@LMacNeill]

A popular song that uses the double-harmonic major scale is Miserlou by Dick Dale and His Del Tones. (If you've ever seen the movie Pulp Fiction, you know exactly what song I'm talking about). It's literally the E double-harmonic major up and down the scale over and over, while tremolo picking... Paul Davids made a great video covering it.

[@JS45678]

I am about to learn something new despite playing guitar for 30+ years! 🎸😃👍

[@flangebuchanan]

Rick, please compose more

[@tomostinato2918]

Sounds very middle eastern. I like it. Some parts of the epic sax solo from Breaking Glass (Hazel O'Conner single from 1980) has a similar feel. The best sax solo ever IMHO.

[@jeremyzenkar8996]

Nice shot of the Red Wings stadium at the 5:35 mark @rickbeato240. Roc appreciates you.

[@airmike._.]

A really useful and inspiring video Rick! Thank you.

[@arpanmukherjee4625]

Its called a Bhairav thaat in Hindustani classical and is very widely used. Many Raagas of the dawn are based on this scale. There is Bhairavi (notice the i in the end), which uses the Phrygian scale.

[@davidgpeterson]

It’s like the old soundtrack for Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack.

[@chrishowe8614]

I would love and pay full price for about two hours of this kind of music. Please, compose, use it for instruction and make it available! Movie sound tracks are all chopped up into bits for individual scenes. Symphonies always have to have their sis boom ba parts and modernism/post modernism is like a bunch of nervous squirrels and surprised chickens. Why can't somebody write a couple of albums worth of almost-symphony-like-yet-song-like soothing, mysterious music like this to help some of us relax and get into a music induced head space?!? No showing off for the critics post modernist crap, no cheesy cliches. Just nice music that is challenging enough to not be boring but accessible enough for us non-symphonic composers. If you know of anybody, please list them as a reply to this comment! I've already bought a number of CDs after videos of yours that introduced me to something I didn't know, before!

[@prayerXtantra]

Thank you for revealing the secrets of the universe one mode at a time. Forever in your debt❤. Beautiful composition man.

[@chrisrussoroos6091]

Awesome Rick - thank you- I will use this!

[@stephanlandshuter5237]

This is the stuff great soundtracks for big movies are made of.

[@johncrisman3400]

This takes me back to my childhood of 70s-era made for TV Movie of the Week suspense/horror/mystery/psychological thrillers. I hope that I can see/hear more new theory and application videos, though I can understand and respect that the reaction and commentary videos pay the bills.

[@goobertsnoobert9015]

I wonder if Danny elfman tapped into this sound for the goodwill hunting score, that first example really reminded me of its way of sounding bright and major but also twisted and dark and broken at the same time. Cool stuff!!