The Byzantine double minor (or harmonic double minor scale ) scale is 1-3-1-2-1-3-1 in semitones, In other words it is the know oriental folk tetra-chord
1-3-1 doubled and linked in the middle with its repetition with a whole tone. It is also a mode of the Arabic-like scale Niavent in the Greek folk music (Niavent=2-1-3-1-1-3-1 )
Some times as Byzantine scale is mentioned the 7 notes scale, which is also called Harmonic double minor
1-3 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1
Of course the Byzantine scales were many and were 7-notes but with frequencies not possible to play in our western 12-notes Bach scale.
The chords that fit to the Byzantine or Romani or Hungarian double minor scale ,( we take here as an example the D Romani or Hungarian double minor) are the next:
Two nice positions of the Romani (Gypsy) double minor scale are the next. The first is the shape of major7 chord together with its shift by one semitone! The rule of this shape is 2 notes per string.
1) Harmonic minor (called also mode of Hijazz ) = (1-3-1)-2-(-1-2-2),
A mode (cyclic permutation) of the harmonic minor is called also 7-tone Blue-scale in American folk music.
Chords of the harmonic minor (intervals 2-1-2-2-1-3-1):
Triads: min dim aug min maj maj dim
Extended
4-notes chord: min/maj7 m7b5 maj7#5 min7 dom7 maj7 dim7
For example for the A harmonic minor(A,B,C,D,E,F,G#) (intervals 2-1-2-2-1-3-1) the chords are
Typical progression
More general the chords that fit to the harmonic minor (not taking necessarily the notes in alternating order , that is take one leave one or 1-3-5 etc) are the next
Again a nice way to play the Harmonic minor on the fretboard with the rule of this shape is 2 notes per string, is the next
5 other ways to play this scale on the guitar fretboard are the next
Two variations of the Byzantine double minor scale are the Persian and inverse Persian scales or
Persian scale or todi theta scale=(1-3-1-1-2-3-1)
E.g. starting from C
1-3-1 doubled and linked in the middle with its repetition with a whole tone. It is also a mode of the Arabic-like scale Niavent in the Greek folk music (Niavent=2-1-3-1-1-3-1 )
Some times as Byzantine scale is mentioned the 7 notes scale, which is also called Harmonic double minor
1-3 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1
Of course the Byzantine scales were many and were 7-notes but with frequencies not possible to play in our western 12-notes Bach scale.
The chords that fit to the Byzantine or Romani or Hungarian double minor scale ,( we take here as an example the D Romani or Hungarian double minor) are the next:
| Notes of this scale: |
| D; E; F; G#/Ab; A; A#/Bb; C#/Db; D; |
| Interval structure of this scale: |
| 2-1-3-1-1-3-1 |
| Chords that fit in this scale: |
| Normal Triads: C# C#m C#aug Dm Ddim Faug A Aaug A# A#m A#dim Other Triads: Dsus2 Asus4 4 Notes Chords: C#6 C#m6 Dm(maj7) E7b5 Amaj7 A#maj7 A#7 A#7b5 A#m7 A#m(maj7) A#m7b5 |
Two nice positions of the Romani (Gypsy) double minor scale are the next. The first is the shape of major7 chord together with its shift by one semitone! The rule of this shape is 2 notes per string.
Other positions are the next
The Byzantine or Romani (Gyspy) or Mohammedan non-double minor scale is essentially (a cyclic permutation of ) the harmonic minor scale
A mode (cyclic permutation) of the harmonic minor is called also 7-tone Blue-scale in American folk music.
Chords of the harmonic minor (intervals 2-1-2-2-1-3-1):
Triads: min dim aug min maj maj dim
Extended
4-notes chord: min/maj7 m7b5 maj7#5 min7 dom7 maj7 dim7
For example for the A harmonic minor(A,B,C,D,E,F,G#) (intervals 2-1-2-2-1-3-1) the chords are
| i | iidim | III | iv | V | VI | VII |
| Amin | Bdim | Caug | Dmin | Emaj | Fmaj | G#dim |
| Aminmaj7 | Bm7b5 | Cmaj7#5 | Dmin7 | E7 | Fmaj7 | G#dim7 |
Typical progression
| Typical chord progressions in A harmonic minor | |
| i - iv - V7 | Am - Dm - E7 |
| ii - V7 - i | Bm7b5 - E7 - Am |
More general the chords that fit to the harmonic minor (not taking necessarily the notes in alternating order , that is take one leave one or 1-3-5 etc) are the next
| Notes of this scale: |
| A; B; C; D; E; F; G#/Ab; A; |
| Interval structure of this scale: |
| 2-1-2-2-1-3-1 |
| Chords that fit in this scale: |
| Normal Triads: Caug Dm Ddim E Eaug F Fm Fdim G#aug G#dim Am Bdim Other Triads: Dsus2 Esus4 Asus4 Asus2 4 Notes Chords: Dm6 Dm7 Dm7b5 Dº7 D7sus2 E7 E7#5 E7sus4 F6 Fm6 Fmaj7 Fm(maj7) Fº7 G#º7 Am(maj7) Bm7b5 Bº7 |
Again a nice way to play the Harmonic minor on the fretboard with the rule of this shape is 2 notes per string, is the next
5 other ways to play this scale on the guitar fretboard are the next
Two variations of the Byzantine double minor scale are the Persian and inverse Persian scales or
Persian scale or todi theta scale=(1-3-1-1-2-3-1)
E.g. starting from C
| Notes of this scale: |
| C; C#/Db; E; F; F#/Gb; G#/Ab; B; C; |
| Interval structure of this scale: |
| h (W+h) h h W (W+h) h |
| Chords that fit in this scale: |
| Normal Triads: C# C#m Caug E Eaug Fm Fdim G#aug Other Triads: C#sus4 Esus2 F#sus4 F#sus2 Bsus4 Bsus2 4 Notes Chords: C#maj7 C#7 C#m7 C#m(maj7) C#7sus4 E6 Fm(maj7) F#7sus4 F#7sus2 G#7#5 |
Inverse Persian scale or Purvi Theta scale= (3-1-1-3-2-1-1)
E.g. starting from C
| Notes of this scale: |
| C; C#/Db; E; F#/Gb; G; G#/Ab; B; C; |
| Interval structure of this scale: |
| h (W+h) W h h (W+h) h |
| Chords that fit in this scale: |
| Normal Triads: C C#m Caug C#dim E Em Eaug G#aug Other Triads: C#sus4 Esus2 F#sus4 F#sus2 Bsus4 Bsus2 4 Notes Chords: Cmaj7 C#m7 C#m(maj7) C#m7b5 C#7sus4 E6 Em6 F#7sus4 F#7sus2 G#7#5 C\E C\G |
And a simple video comparing the chords in natural and harmonic minor
