Guitar scale · exotic
C 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.
C 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|------------------------------------8-9-12-| B|----------------------------9-11-12--------| G|-----------------------9-11----------------| D|-------------8-9-10-11---------------------| A|--------9-11-------------------------------| E|-8-9-12------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-| B|-------------------------------11-12-13-14-------| G|-------------------------11-13-------------------| D|----------------10-11-14-------------------------| A|-------11-13-14----------------------------------| E|-12-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-14----------| G|----------------------------13-15-16----------------| D|----------------------14-16-------------------------| A|----------13-14-15-16-------------------------------| E|-12-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-19-| B|-------------------------------------17-19----------| G|-------------------------15-16-17-18----------------| D|-------------------16-18----------------------------| A|----------15-16-19----------------------------------| E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-19-20-21-| B|-------------------------------------19-21-------------| G|----------------------------17-18-21-------------------| D|-------------------18-20-21----------------------------| A|-------------19-21-------------------------------------| E|-18-19-20-21-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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 | C |
| ♭2 | Db |
| 3 | E |
| ♯4 | F# |
| ♯5 | G# |
| ♯6 | A# |
| 7 | B |
Chords in C Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Caug | Cmaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | E | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C 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 C Enigmatic Scale?
- The C Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: C, Db, E, F#, G#, A#, B.
- What chords are in the C Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of C Enigmatic are Caug (I+), E (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 C Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.