STRINGSCALES

D enigmatic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F#, Ab, Bb, C, C#, D, Eb at frets 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11

A string: Bb, C, C#, D, Eb, F#, Ab at frets 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11

D string: D, Eb, F#, Ab, Bb, C, C#, D at frets 0, 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12

G string: Ab, Bb, C, C#, D, Eb, F# at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11

B string: C, C#, D, Eb, F#, Ab, Bb at frets 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11

High E string: F#, Ab, Bb, C, C#, D, Eb at frets 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11

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D 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:

D

I+

Daug
E♭

bII+

Cm#5/E♭
F♯

III

F♯maj
A♭

bV

A♭majb5
B♭

bVI

C

bVII

D7no5/C
C♯

VII

C♯sus2

enigmatic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Verdi wrote the scala enigmatica as a harmonization puzzle: treat D enigmatic as through-composed material, not a jam scale.
  • The bottom is a half step, the middle is whole tone (III to b5 (Ab) to b6 (Bb) to b7 (C)), the top stacks two leading tones; phrase those three zones separately.
  • Both the flat 7th (C) and major 7th (C#) resolve to D; 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 D enigmatic on guitar

Open D string is the root, so a low pedal is available without fretting anything. Only one open string falls in scale, which means everything else has to be fretted. Roots elsewhere sit at fret 3 on the B string, fret 5 on the A, and fret 7 on the G. Lowest root is fret 10, low E. Next box takes over at fret 14, which means box one sits high while the open root stays available below it.

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