STRINGSCALES

D♭ enigmatic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Abb, Bbb, Cb, C, Db, Ebb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

A string: Bbb, Cb, C, Db, Ebb, F, Abb, Bbb at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12

D string: Ebb, F, Abb, Bbb, Cb, C, Db, Ebb at frets 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12

G string: Abb, Bbb, Cb, C, Db, Ebb, F, Abb at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12

B string: Cb, C, Db, Ebb, F, Abb, Bbb, Cb at frets 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12

High E string: F, Abb, Bbb, Cb, C, Db, Ebb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

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Db 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+

D♭aug
E𝄫

bII

A𝄫maj/Ebb
F

III

Fmaj
A𝄫

bV

A𝄫majb5
B𝄫

bVI

C♭

bVII

D♭7no5/Cb
C

VII

Csus2

enigmatic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

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

Capo at the 1st fret and anything you play in C enigmatic maps straight across. Open A, D, G and B all sit in scale, arriving as a minor sixth, minor second, diminished fifth and minor seventh, so no open pedal holds. Nearest root to the nut: B string fret 2. Lowest root is the 9th fret of the low E, which puts the handover out of box one at fret 13.

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