Guitar scale · exotic
F# 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.
F# 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|-----------------------------2-3-6-| B|-----------------------3-5-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-------------| D|-----------2-3-4-5-----------------| A|-------3-5-------------------------| E|-2-3-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-8-| B|---------------------5-6-7-8-----| G|-----------------5-7-------------| D|-----------4-5-8-----------------| A|-----5-7-8-----------------------| E|-6-8-----------------------------|
e|---------------------------------6-8-10-| B|-----------------------------7-8--------| G|----------------------7-9-10------------| D|-----------------8-10-------------------| A|--------7-8-9-10------------------------| E|-6-8-10---------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-----------------------------------11-13----------| G|------------------------9-10-11-12----------------| D|------------------10-12---------------------------| A|----------9-10-13---------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15-------------| G|----------------------------11-12-15-------------------| D|-------------------12-14-15----------------------------| A|-------------13-15-------------------------------------| E|-12-13-14-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F# 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 2–6. 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 | F# |
| ♭2 | G |
| 3 | A# |
| ♯4 | B# |
| ♯5 | D |
| ♯6 | E |
| 7 | E# |
Chords in F# Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F# Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | F#aug | F#maj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | A# | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F# 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 F# Enigmatic Scale?
- The F# Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: F#, G, A#, B#, D, E, E#.
- What chords are in the F# Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of F# Enigmatic are F#aug (I+), A# (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 F# Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.