F Messiaen's Mode #4 Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

F Messiaen's Mode #4 in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The F Messiaen's Mode #4 scale is a symmetrical scale designed to have no single tonic. On Guitar, the notes are F, Gb, G, Bb, B, C, Db, E. 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: F, Gb, G, Bb, B, C, Db, E

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

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning