Phrygian dominant scale with a major seventh

Question

The Phrygian dominant scale with a major seventh instead of a minor seventh is formed by:

1. a root
2. a minor second
3. a major third
4. a fourth
5. a fifth
6. a minor sixth
7. a major seventh.

My questions are:

1. what is the name of this scale? Is it a mode of an other scale?
2. Are there some known pieces using it?
3. Are there some known or standard licks over this scale?

Moreover, by keeping the degrees I, III, IV, V, and VII of the above scale, we obtain a kind of pentatonic scale which seems to sound very well.

I have the same questions as the above three for this scale of five degrees.

Answer 1

The scale is known as the flamenco mode or Major-Phrygian and as far as I am concerned is the most popular variant of that set of notes. Off the top of my head I don't know any songs that contain this scale, but it is used all the time in flamenco music along with Phrygian dominant.

Melody wise, you would probably want to take advantage of how symmetric this scale is which can be achieved by doing any pattern with scale degrees 1-2-3-4 and 5-6-7-8 since they are the exact same pattern.

Also the 5 note scale you picked out is actually not unique to this mode and is actually contained in the major scale so I really wouldn't consider it anything special in that regard.

Answer 2

This scale is often called double harmonic scale. In my experience (i.e., in popular music) that's the standard name for that scale. Arguably the most famous use of that scale in popular music is Dick Dale's Misirlou.

And, by the way, the double harmonic scale and the Hungarian minor scale are modes of each other.

Answer 3

Phrygian dominant with a raised 7th is Thaat Bhairav in Indian classical - of which the famous Raga Bhairav is derived.

Thaat Bhairav employs flattened 2nd and flattened 6th, keeping all other notes natural. Which means you get the following scale: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7 1

Hope that answered your question.