Guitar scale · exotic
Eb 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.
Eb 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|-------------------------------------------11-12-15-| B|----------------------------------12-14-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-------------------| D|----------------11-12-13-14-------------------------| A|----------12-14-------------------------------------| E|-11-12-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-| B|-------------------------------14-15-16-17-------| G|-------------------------14-16-------------------| D|----------------13-14-17-------------------------| A|-------14-16-17----------------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-19-| B|-------------------------------------16-17----------| G|----------------------------16-18-19----------------| D|----------------------17-19-------------------------| A|----------16-17-18-19-------------------------------| E|-15-17-19-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------19-21-22-| B|-------------------------------------20-22----------| G|-------------------------18-19-20-21----------------| D|-------------------19-21----------------------------| A|----------18-19-22----------------------------------| E|-19-21-22-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------21-22-| B|-------------------20-22-------| G|-------------20-21-------------| D|----------21-------------------| A|-------22----------------------| E|-21-22-------------------------|
How to play Eb Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: Eb is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Eb 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 11–15. 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 | Eb |
| ♭2 | Fb |
| 3 | G |
| ♯4 | A |
| ♯5 | B |
| ♯6 | C# |
| 7 | D |
Chords in Eb Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Eb Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Ebaug | Ebmaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | G | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise Eb 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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Questions
- What notes are in the Eb Enigmatic Scale?
- The Eb Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: Eb, Fb, G, A, B, C#, D.
- What chords are in the Eb Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of Eb Enigmatic are Ebaug (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 Eb Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root Eb is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 11–15, and four more positions connect it up the neck.