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enigmatic scale

Verdi's enigmatic, elusive

enigmatic on the guitar: the fretboard diagram

Here is the enigmatic scale laid out across the whole neck, from fret 0 to fret 15. The guide tones (3rd and 7th) are highlighted — they're what makes the scale's color sing. Use the key selector above to shift the shape along the neck and find the positions in your key.

What color?

Verdi's "enigmatic" scale (R b9 3 #11 #5 b7 7): a sequence of unusual intervals, a floating, elusive sound. Pure exploration, for getting off the beaten path.

Origin & history

The scala enigmatica was born in 1888 as a composition challenge posed in an Italian music journal. Combining a minor second with augmented fourths, it has no clear tonal function — hence its name.

Listen

• "Ave Maria" (Quattro pezzi sacri) — Giuseppe Verdi

Which chords to play it on?

Outside the functional consensus: this is an exploration color. Lay it over a vamp or a held chord to tint your improvisation with an unexpected flavor, rather than inside a cadence.

Try it in a real chart

Paste a chord chart into the tool: Pentania tells you, chord by chord, when this scale fits — and what other colors are open to you. Open the tool →