Guitar scale · exotic
G 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.
G 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|-----------------------------3-4-7-| B|-----------------------4-6-7-------| G|-------------------4-6-------------| D|-----------3-4-5-6-----------------| A|-------4-6-------------------------| E|-3-4-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------7-9-| B|---------------------6-7-8-9-----| G|-----------------6-8-------------| D|-----------5-6-9-----------------| A|-----6-8-9-----------------------| E|-7-9-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------7-9-11-| B|-------------------------------8-9--------| G|-----------------------8-10-11------------| D|------------------9-11--------------------| A|--------8-9-10-11-------------------------| E|-7-9-11-----------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-14----------| G|-------------------------10-11-12-13----------------| D|-------------------11-13----------------------------| A|----------10-11-14----------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-15-16-| B|-------------------------------------14-16-------------| G|----------------------------12-13-16-------------------| D|-------------------13-15-16----------------------------| A|-------------14-16-------------------------------------| E|-13-14-15-16-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Enigmatic on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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 | G |
| ♭2 | Ab |
| 3 | B |
| ♯4 | C# |
| ♯5 | D# |
| ♯6 | E# |
| 7 | F# |
Chords in G Enigmatic
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Enigmatic; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Gaug | Gmaj7#5 | Tonic |
| ♭II | — | — | Supertonic |
| III | B | — | Mediant |
| ♯IV | — | — | Subdominant |
| ♯V | — | — | Dominant |
| ♯VI | — | — | Submediant |
| VII | — | — | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Practise G 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 G Enigmatic Scale?
- The G Enigmatic Scale has 7 notes: G, Ab, B, C#, D#, E#, F#.
- What chords are in the G Enigmatic Scale?
- The chords of G Enigmatic are Gaug (I+), B (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 G Enigmatic on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.