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

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

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

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

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

B string: B, C#, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, A, B at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12

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

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Eb 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:

E♭

I

F

II

G

III

A♭

IV

A

#IV

B

#V

C♯

#VI

D

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 Eb: 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 (Ab) and raised 4th (A) are present: rock them against each other over a root pedal on Eb.

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

Fret 1 on the D string is the closest root to the nut, and the A string answers at 6. Capo 1 hands you the D fingering, meaning every shape you own in D transfers straight across. Four open strings land in the key but neither the root nor the fifth is among them, which lets you treat them as colour tones and nothing more. Two more roots wait at 8 and 11.

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