C Messiaen's Mode #4 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
C Messiaen's Mode #4 Scale — Notes and Intervals
The C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale is a symmetrical scale designed to have no single tonic. On Guitar, the notes are C, Db, D, F, F#, G, Ab, B. Messiaen used it to create what he called the charm of impossibilities, evoking a sense of spiritual wonder where the listener loses their sense of direction. Commonly used in Contemporary Classical, Film Scores, Experimental. Notable players include Olivier Messiaen. Use for avant-garde composition and film scoring where traditional tonal direction should dissolve.
Notes: C, Db, D, F, F#, G, Ab, B
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 2M, 4P, 4A, 5P, 6m, 7M
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 #5 6 b7 8
Formula: H-H-WH-H-H-H-WH-H
Number of notes: 8
How to Play C Messiaen's Mode #4 on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 8 on the 6th (low E) to find your C root note. Because this scale has 8 notes, four-notes-per-string stretches may be necessary. Start with a single position and expand gradually. Keep your thumb centered behind the neck for reach.
The C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale contains both sharps and flats (1 sharp, 2 flats), which is common in altered and exotic scales. This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (C-D, Db-F) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on C to let the characteristic intervals of the Messiaen's Mode #4 scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently.
The C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale contains 8 notes (C, Db, D, F, F#, G, Ab, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for C Messiaen's Mode #4
The C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore C Messiaen's Mode #4 Further
- Harmonize the C Messiaen's Mode #4 scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 on Ukulele
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 on Bass
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 on Piano
Explore C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Other Tunings
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- C Messiaen's Mode #4 in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)