Olivier Messiaen’s Seven Modes of Limited Transposition

French composer Olivier Messiaen defined the "modes of limited transposition" in  his book "La technique de mon language musical" (The Technique of my Musical Language). 

What makes these scales special, is that they have a degree of symmetry, which causes the intervallic structure to be identical in two or more different keys. 

The Whole Tone Scale for example, essentially only has two different keys. A whole tone scale consists of six notes, and is completely identical in six different keys. 

There are only seven of these modes: 

Check out these wonderful videos of Nelson Veras at a clinic at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

 

M1: Messiaen Mode 1:  The Whole Tone Scale

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Structure: W - W - W - W - W - W

Transpositions: 2

Intervals: 1 - 2 - 3 - #4 - #5 - b7

All Whole Tone Scales

Ab  |  A  |  Bb  |  B  |  C  |  Db  |  D  |  Eb  |  E  |  F  |  Gb  |  G

M2: Messiaen Mode 2 - The Dominant Diminished Scale

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Structure: H - W - H - W - H - W - H - W

Transpositions: 3

Intervals: 1 - b2 - b3 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - b7

All Dominant Diminished Scales

C (Eb, Gb, A) | G (Bb, Db, E) |  D (F, Ab, B) 

M3: Messiaen Mode 3 - The Tcherepnin Scale

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Structure: W - H - H - W - H - H - W - H - H

Transpositions: 4

Intervals: 1 - 2 - b3 - 3 - #4 - 5 - b6 - b7 - 7

All Tcherepnin Scales

C (E, Ab)  |  D (Gb, Bb) | G (B, Eb)  |  A (Db, F)

M4: Messiaen Mode 4

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Structure: H - H - m3 - H - H - H - m3 - H

Transpositions: 6

Intervals: 1 - b2 - 2 - 4 - #4 - 5 - b6 - 7

All M4 Scales

C (Gb)  |  G (Db) | D (Ab) | A (Eb) | E (Bb) | F (B)

M5: Messiaen Mode 5

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Structure: H - M3 - H - H - M3 - H

Transpositions: 6

Intervals: 1 - b2 - 4 - #4 - 5 - 7

All M5 Scales

C (Gb) | G (Db) | D (Ab) | A (Eb) | E (Bb) | F (B) 

M6: Messiaen Mode 6

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Structure: W - W - H - H - W W - H - H

Transpositions: 6

Intervals: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - #4 - #5 - b7 - 7

All M6 Scales

C | 

M7: Messiaen Mode 7

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Structure: H - H - H - W - H - H - H - W - H

Transpositions: 6

Intervals: 1 - b2 - 2 - b3 - 4 - #4 - 5 -b6 - 6 - 7

All M7 Scales

C | 

Nelson Veras Clinic - Messiaen Modes

Nelson on Messiaen mode 3

Nelson toying w/ Messiaen mode

Nelson looking for voicings

Nelson on practicing M4 and M6