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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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G 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:

G

I

A

II

B

III

C

IV

C♯

#IV

D♯

#V

E♯

#VI

F♯

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 G: 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 (C) and raised 4th (C#) are present: rock them against each other over a root pedal on G.

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

Open G string is a root, which means a drone is available before you fret anything. Only three open strings belong to the key, the open A a major second off and the open B a major third. Lowest root is fret 3 on the low E, and the high E repeats that fret, so one barre covers both. Fretted roots turn up at 5, 8 and 10.

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