STRINGSCALES

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

Low E string: E, F, Gb, G, Ab, Bb, B, C, Db, D, E at frets 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

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

D string: D, E, F, Gb, G, Ab, Bb, B, C, Db, D at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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

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

High E string: E, F, Gb, G, Ab, Bb, B, C, Db, D, E at frets 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

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F 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:

F

I

G♭

bII

G

II

A♭

bIII

B♭

IV

B

#IV

C

V

D♭

bVI

D

VI

E

VII

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

tip
  • Ten notes from F: 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 (B) 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 F messiaen's mode #7 on guitar

Roots sit right at fret 1 on both E strings, so the E-shape barre lands about as low as a barre can go. A capo on fret 1 does the same job, turning the whole key into open E fingering, which means nut-position shapes carry over intact. Five opens fall in the key, both E strings sounding the major seventh against F. First box hands off at fret 5.

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