Guitar scale · exotic
E 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.
E 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|-----------------------------0-1-4-| B|-----------------------1-3-4-------| G|-------------------1-3-------------| D|-----------0-1-2-3-----------------| A|-------1-3-------------------------| E|-0-1-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-6-| B|---------------------3-4-5-6-----| G|-----------------3-5-------------| D|-----------2-3-6-----------------| A|-----3-5-6-----------------------| E|-4-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-6-8-| B|-------------------------5-6-------| G|-------------------5-7-8-----------| D|---------------6-8-----------------| A|-------5-6-7-8---------------------| E|-4-6-8-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------8-10-11-| B|------------------------------9-11---------| G|---------------------7-8-9-10--------------| D|----------------8-10-----------------------| A|---------7-8-11----------------------------| E|-8-10-11-----------------------------------|
e|------------------------------------------10-11-12-13-| B|------------------------------------11-13-------------| G|----------------------------9-10-13-------------------| D|-------------------10-12-13---------------------------| A|-------------11-13------------------------------------| E|-10-11-12-13------------------------------------------|
How to play E Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 | E |
| ♭2 | F |
| 3 | G# |
| ♯4 | A# |
| ♯5 | B# |
| ♯6 | D |
| 7 | D# |
Chords in E Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Eaug | Emaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | G# | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise E 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.
Free
- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
- A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
- A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
- 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
- No subscription, ads removed
Questions
- What notes are in the E Enigmatic Scale?
- The E Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: E, F, G#, A#, B#, D, D#.
- What chords are in the E Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of E Enigmatic are Eaug (I+), G# (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 E Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.