Guitar scale · exotic
A Enigmatic Scale
1 ♭2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7: an unusual scale: a half step, an augmented 2nd, three whole steps, then two half steps. Also called Scala enigmatica.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Enigmatic Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-6-9-| B|-----------------------6-8-9-------| G|-------------------6-8-------------| D|-----------5-6-7-8-----------------| A|-------6-8-------------------------| E|-5-6-9-----------------------------|
e|------------------------------------9-11-| B|--------------------------8-9-10-11------| G|---------------------8-10----------------| D|--------------7-8-11---------------------| A|------8-10-11----------------------------| E|-9-11------------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|------------------------------------10-11---------| G|---------------------------10-12-13---------------| D|---------------------11-13------------------------| A|---------10-11-12-13------------------------------| E|-9-11-13------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-16-| B|-------------------------------------14-16----------| G|-------------------------12-13-14-15----------------| D|-------------------13-15----------------------------| A|----------12-13-16----------------------------------| E|-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-16-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18-------------| G|----------------------------14-15-18-------------------| D|-------------------15-17-18----------------------------| A|-------------16-18-------------------------------------| E|-15-16-17-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, ♯5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭2 | Bb |
| 3 | C# |
| ♯4 | D# |
| ♯5 | E# |
| ♯6 | G |
| 7 | G# |
Chords in A Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Aaug | Amaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | C# | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Enigmatic anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Enigmatic Scale?
- The A Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: A, Bb, C#, D#, E#, G, G#.
- What chords are in the A Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of A Enigmatic are Aaug (I+), C# (III).
- What is the formula of the enigmatic scale?
- 1 ♭2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7, which is the step pattern H W+H W W W H H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.