STRINGSCALES

B♭ messiaen's mode #6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bb messiaen's mode #6

Messiaen's mode 6 is an eight note mode of limited transposition: whole, whole, half, half, repeated twice, repeating at the tritone. It merges whole tone motion with chromatic braking points, so lines glide and then suddenly snag. Like all these modes its transpositions are limited (six here), which is exactly what gives music built on it its circling, suspended quality.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

B♭

I

C

II

D

III

E♭

IV

E

#IV

F♯

#V

G♯

#VI

A

VII

messiaen's mode #6 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • The cell is whole-whole-half-half twice per octave starting from Bb: whole tone gliding that keeps snagging on chromatic brakes.
  • It repeats at the tritone (six transpositions); build phrases that answer themselves six frets away.
  • Alternate whole-step slides with half-step resolutions to dramatize the two interval characters inside one line.
  • Both the natural 4th (Eb) and raised 4th (E) are present: rock them against each other over a root pedal on Bb.

How to play B♭ messiaen's mode #6 on guitar

Fret 1 on the A string is the nearest Bb root to the nut, so first position already has a full barre under it. Capo 1 turns the grid into A fingering, letting you carry over anything you play in A. Four open strings belong here at an augmented fourth, major seventh and major third, though the tonic itself never turns up open. Roots also appear at 3, 6, 8 and 11.

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