The 3rd mode of the Double Harmonic Major scale is Ultraphrygian, also referred to as Phrygian ♭4 or sometimes Double Harmonic Phrygian. This is an extremely dark and dissonant mode with both ♭2 and ♭4.
Scale formula
The formula for the Ultraphrygian is:
1 – ♭2 – ♭3 – ♭4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭♭7
Chords
-
Minor chords (e.g., Em): The mode contains a ♭3 and 5.
-
Diminished chords (e.g., D°7): Fits well due to the dense chromaticism and lowered scale degrees.
-
Dominant chords with altered tensions: The 5th degree of the parent scale is major, so this mode may appear over secondary dominant resolutions with a dissonant twist.
Usage
Ultraphrygian is one of the darkest and most dissonant modes in this system. It combines a Phrygian-like flavor with an even more unstable sound due to the ♭4 and ♭♭7 (enharmonically 6). Because of its compressed interval structure (many half-steps), it’s primarily used for avant-garde, modern classical, experimental fusion, or intense film scoring — where tension, claustrophobia, or surrealism is desired. Melodically, it lends itself to jagged, angular lines and unresolved harmonic progressions.