Guitar scale · exotic
Bb 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.
Bb 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|-------------------------------6-7-10-| B|------------------------7-9-10--------| G|--------------------7-9---------------| D|------------6-7-8-9-------------------| A|--------7-9---------------------------| E|-6-7-10-------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------10-12-| B|---------------------------9-10-11-12-------| G|----------------------9-11------------------| D|---------------8-9-12-----------------------| A|-------9-11-12------------------------------| E|-10-12--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|-------------------------------------11-12----------| G|----------------------------11-13-14----------------| D|----------------------12-14-------------------------| A|----------11-12-13-14-------------------------------| E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-17-| B|-------------------------------------15-17----------| G|-------------------------13-14-15-16----------------| D|-------------------14-16----------------------------| A|----------13-14-17----------------------------------| E|-14-16-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-17-18-19-| B|-------------------------------------17-19-------------| G|----------------------------15-16-19-------------------| D|-------------------16-18-19----------------------------| A|-------------17-19-------------------------------------| E|-16-17-18-19-------------------------------------------|
How to play Bb Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Bb 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 6–10. 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 | Bb |
| ♭2 | Cb |
| 3 | D |
| ♯4 | E |
| ♯5 | F# |
| ♯6 | G# |
| 7 | A |
Chords in Bb Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Bb Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Bbaug | Bbmaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | D | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise Bb 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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- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the Bb Enigmatic Scale?
- The Bb Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: Bb, Cb, D, E, F#, G#, A.
- What chords are in the Bb Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of Bb Enigmatic are Bbaug (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 Bb Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 6–10, and four more positions connect it up the neck.