This is the third post in a series which looks at the modes of Messiaen from the point of view of the scale changing when chromatic notes are played. For example, if the C Major scale is played (C D E F G A B) and a note inserted between C and D say, the scale becomes (C C# D E F G A B). This is not an eight note scale, but rather the scale changes to D Melodic (D E F G A B C#) when the C# is played and only resolves back to C Major when a C natural is played once more.
The view that it is an eight note scale is misleading, because the altered note actually creates tension and demands resolution, which implies a change from one thing to another and then back and not a static scale that shows only one musical idea occurring.
If the E in the C Major scale is changed to an Eb, the scale is now C Melodic (C D Eb F G A B). This is the starting point for the 7th mode which has ten notes and is C Db D Eb F F# G Ab A B. When the notes from the C Melodic are removed from the 7th mode, we have the remaining notes of Db, F# and Ab. So, playing a Db takes us into the C Neapolitan Major scale, (C Db Eb F G A B), and if the Db is followed by a D natural, then it reverts back to C Melodic, and so on.
If the A is replaced by Ab, then the scale becomes C Harmonic minor (C D Eb F G Ab B). Third, if F# replaces F, then the scale is G Harmonic Major (G A B C D Eb F#).
So you can see the mode 7 is merely the amalgamation of C Melodic, C Neapolitan Major, C Harmonic minor and G Harmonic Major. Now, admittedly, the modal sound will vary if the altered notes occur in a sequence, for example Db followed by Ab, and the result will sound like C Neapolitan minor (C Db Eb F G Ab B), but the basic underlying idea is the same, ie; take a seven note scale and add extra notes to create tension from other scales like the ones listed above.
So mode 7 can be represented like so:
C Harmonic minor
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C Melodic – G Harmonic Major
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C Neapolitan Major
You can see in this diagram, that the Melodic scale is the basic canvas and the altered notes from the surrounding scales are used when desired, constantly moving back and forth, constantly pulling the music in various directions. For me, understanding the direction of movement by knowing the scales that are referenced is useful because a resolution to the scale or key implied is now possible, but I also see the music of Messiaen to be unique, and his approach works in creating the music he wants to make.
For me though. it makes much more sense to me to know what the modes from the altered scales sound like and where the resolution is that they lead to, than to play a collection of notes for pure effect that may or may not work because the direction that the music is heading is not known, not that Messiaen was doing this in his music, but many others seem to be. But that’s just me, thanks for reading.
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