Guitar scale · exotic
B 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.
B 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|-----------------------------------7-8-11-| B|---------------------------8-10-11--------| G|----------------------8-10----------------| D|-------------7-8-9-10---------------------| A|--------8-10------------------------------| E|-7-8-11-----------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------11-13-| B|------------------------------10-11-12-13-------| G|------------------------10-12-------------------| D|----------------9-10-13-------------------------| A|-------10-12-13---------------------------------| E|-11-13------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|----------------------13-15-------------------------| A|----------12-13-14-15-------------------------------| E|-11-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|-------------------------14-15-16-17----------------| D|-------------------15-17----------------------------| A|----------14-15-18----------------------------------| E|-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-18-19-20-| B|-------------------------------------18-20-------------| G|----------------------------16-17-20-------------------| D|-------------------17-19-20----------------------------| A|-------------18-20-------------------------------------| E|-17-18-19-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play B Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B 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 7–11. 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 | B |
| ♭2 | C |
| 3 | D# |
| ♯4 | E# |
| ♯5 | G |
| ♯6 | A |
| 7 | A# |
Chords in B Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Baug | Bmaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | D# | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise B 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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One purchase
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- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the B Enigmatic Scale?
- The B Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: B, C, D#, E#, G, A, A#.
- What chords are in the B Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of B Enigmatic are Baug (I+), D# (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 B Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.