E Double Harmonic Major Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

E Double Harmonic Major in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The E Double Harmonic Major scale, commonly known as the Byzantine scale, is a perfectly balanced seven-note scale. On Guitar, it contains the notes E, F, G#, A, B, C, D#. It offers an extreme exotic tension with two augmented seconds, used to create iconic surf-rock and Middle Eastern themes. Commonly used in Middle Eastern, Surf Rock, Metal, Film Scores. Notable players include Dick Dale, Rainbow, Marty Friedman. Use over major chords in Middle Eastern and surf rock contexts. The b2 and b6 add exotic color to an otherwise major framework.

Notes: E, F, G#, A, B, C, D#

Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7M

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7

Formula: H-WH-H-W-H-WH-H

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

Also known as: gypsy

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning