[Smt-talk] Double Harmonic Major and Minor

[Ninov, Dimitar N]

Dear Colleagues,

I want to draw your attention on a striking discrepancy in the conceptualization of some chromatic scales.

For example, Double Harmonic Major is a major scale with b2 and b6,. In C, this is the series C-Db-E-F-G-Ab-B-C. The same collection of pitches, started on the fourth note, produces Double Harmonic Minor, which is a minor scale with raised 4 and 7: F-G-Ab-B-C-Db-E-F. 

Now, in the open electronic space, they also describe Double Harmonic Minor as "Gipsy Minor" or "Hungarian Minor". Yet, they fall short of describing Double Harmonic Major as "Gipsy" or "Hungarian" Major, but call it "Bizantine" or ".Arabian" instead.  At the same time, they call "Gipsy" or "Hungarian Major" a scale which has different collection of pitches than Hungarian Minor. This is the series: C-D#-E-F#-G-A-Bb-C. This scale does not contain two augmented seconds, and therefore it is not "double harmonic". If double harmonic minor is Hungarian or Gipsy, so should be the Double Harmonic Major.

Indeed, in my old elementary theory of music book I have the two double harmonic scales that share the same pitch content described as Gipsy (Hungarian) Major and Gipsy (Hungarian) Minor. Similar logic unites Melodic Minor and Melodic Major - this is the same collection of pitches, started on different notes (these scales do not contain augmented seconds). This line is also close to the logic behind Harmonic Minor and Harmonic Major - they have identical upper tetrachords.

I would be curious to know if any colleague has more information about the reason of calling "Hungarian Major" a scale which has a different collection of pitches that Hungarian Minor. I personally attribute this logic to a misunderstanding, similar to the non existing logic that stands behind the "new" concept of appoggiatura in North America, but who knows...may be Bartok called this strange scale (actually a Turkish macam) "Hungarian Major". Two things are certain, however. Those scales are Turkish or Arabian macams, and the double harmonic versions of major and minor are very popular in Eastern Europe.

Thank you very much.

Dimitar

 
Dr. Dimitar Ninov, Lecturer
School of Music
Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666