STRINGSCALES

A♭ enigmatic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: Fb, Gb, G, Ab, Bbb, C, Ebb, Fb at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12

A string: Bbb, C, Ebb, Fb, Gb, G, Ab, Bbb at frets 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12

D string: Ebb, Fb, Gb, G, Ab, Bbb, C, Ebb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12

G string: G, Ab, Bbb, C, Ebb, Fb, Gb, G at frets 0, 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

B string: C, Ebb, Fb, Gb, G, Ab, Bbb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

High E string: Fb, Gb, G, Ab, Bbb, C, Ebb, Fb at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12

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Ab enigmatic

The enigmatic scale is Verdi's scala enigmatica, reportedly composed as a harmonization challenge: root, flat 2nd, major 3rd, flat 5th, flat 6th, flat 7th, major 7th. It opens with a half step, walks a whole tone stretch, then crams two leading tones at the top. Verdi harmonized an Ave Maria with it; it remains a puzzle box that rewards through-composed writing over improvisation.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A♭

I+

A♭aug
B𝄫

bII

E𝄫maj/Bbb
C

III

Cmaj
E𝄫

bV

E𝄫majb5
F♭

bVI

G♭

bVII

A♭7no5/Gb
G

VII

Gsus2

enigmatic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Verdi wrote the scala enigmatica as a harmonization puzzle: treat Ab enigmatic as through-composed material, not a jam scale.
  • The bottom is a half step, the middle is whole tone (III to b5 (D) to b6 (E) to b7 (Gb)), the top stacks two leading tones; phrase those three zones separately.
  • Both the flat 7th (Gb) and major 7th (G) resolve to Ab; approach the root twice, once from each, to state the scale's oddity.
  • Harmonize a slow chorale in it, one chord per scale tone, and let the strange voice leading be the piece.

How to play A♭ enigmatic on guitar

Five open strings land in scale, everything but the B string, though they arrive as sixths, seconds, a diminished fifth and a major seventh, so use them in passing. Fret 1 on the G string is the closest root to the nut. Lowest root is fret 4, low E. Box one there gives way at fret 8, which means the root at fret 11 on the A sits in a different shape.

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