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Modes Of Limited Transposition Modes of Limited Transposition A series of musical scale modes discovered by the French composer Olivier Messiaen. They contained what the composer called "the charm of impossibility." Based on our chromatic system of twelve notes, these modes are made up of several symmetrical groups, the last note of each group being the first note of the next group. After a certain number of chromatic transpositions (this number varies with each mode), the modes cannot be transposed further - the fourth transposition giving exactly the same notes as the second, etc. There are three such modes. Then there are several further "fourth" modes, of lesser interest because of their larger number of possible transpositions: six. All of these may be employed both harmonically and melodically. The first mode is divided into six groups of two notes each. It is transposable twice. This is the whole-tone scale, quite widespread since Debussy. C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C The second mode is divided into four groups of three notes each. It is transposable three times, like the diminished-seventh chord. Here it is, expressed melodically: C, Db, Eb, E, F#, G, A, Bb, C The third mode is divided into three groups of four notes each. It is transposable four times, like the augmented triad. Here it is, expressed melodically: C, D, Eb, E, F#, G, Ab, Bb, B, C Here are two modes of the fourth type, divided into two groups of five notes each, transposable six times, like the augmented fourth. C, D, E, F, F#, G#, A#, B, C C, Db, D, F, F#, G, Bb, B, C
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