STRINGSCALES

A messiaen's mode #7 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, F#, G#, A, Bb, B, C, D, D#, E at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12

A string: A, Bb, B, C, D, D#, E, F, F#, G#, A at frets 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12

D string: D, D#, E, F, F#, G#, A, Bb, B, C, D at frets 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

G string: G#, A, Bb, B, C, D, D#, E, F, F# at frets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

B string: B, C, D, D#, E, F, F#, G#, A, Bb, B at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12

High E string: E, F, F#, G#, A, Bb, B, C, D, D#, E at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12

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A messiaen's mode #7

Messiaen's mode 7 is the largest mode of limited transposition: ten notes, leaving out just one whole-step pair per tritone half. It is nearly chromatic, with symmetry at the tritone and only six distinct transpositions. In practice it works as organized chromaticism: dense clusters and runs that still obey an internal pattern rather than free atonality.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

I

B♭

bII

B

II

C

bIII

D

IV

D♯

#IV

E

V

F

bVI

F♯

VI

G♯

VII

messiaen's mode #7 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Ten notes from A: think of it as the chromatic scale with one whole-step gap per tritone half; the gaps define it, so phrase around them.
  • Its symmetry at the tritone (Eb) gives structure to near-chromatic runs: mirror each gesture six frets away.
  • Use it as organized chromaticism for climaxes: scale-wise motion reads as intent where free chromatics read as noise.
  • Extract subsets: any five adjacent tones give a dense cluster scale; contrast two subsets from opposite tritone halves.

How to play A messiaen's mode #7 on guitar

Open A gives you the root without a finger down, and both E strings ring the perfect fifth above and below it, so root-fifth drones come built in. D and B stay in the key too, on the perfect fourth and major second. E-shape barre roots sit at fret 5. Learn the box once and it doubles for Eb six semitones higher, which lets one shape work two keys.

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