STRINGSCALES

F messiaen's mode #6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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F 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:

F

I

G

II

A

III

B♭

IV

B

#IV

C♯

#V

D♯

#VI

E

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 F: 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 (Bb) and raised 4th (B) are present: rock them against each other over a root pedal on F.

How to play F messiaen's mode #6 on guitar

Fret 1 on both E strings puts the tonic barre against the nut, so a capo at 1 with E fingering covers the same ground. Five open strings fall inside the key, though none is the root or the fifth, which means they colour a line rather than anchor it. Roots continue at 3 on the D string, 6 on the B and 8 on the A. Next shape takes over at fret 5.

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