Enigmatic scale
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The enigmatic scale (scala enigmatica) is an unusual musical scale, with elements of both major and minor scales, as well as the whole-tone scale. It was originally published in a Milan journal as a musical challenge, with an invitation to harmonize it in some way.
Verdi used it in his Ave Maria, part of the Quattro Pezzi Sacri (4 sacred pieces) in 1889.
The scale, (written out beginning on G) is as follows:
G, A, B, C#, D#, F, G
The scale lacks a perfect fourth or fifth degree and has no leading tone.
| Musical scales by | edit |
| # | pentatonic | hexatonic | heptatonic | octatonic | chromatic | |
| Types | Altered | Bebop | Diatonic scale | Enharmonic | Jazz scale | Minor scale | |
| Name | Acoustic | Blues | Bohlen-Pierce | Diatonic | Double harmonic | Half diminished | Harmonic major | Lydian dominant | Major | Major locrian | Pelog | Phrygian dominant scale | Slendro | |
| "Ethnic" name | Arabic | Gypsy | Jewish | |
| Modes of the diatonic scale | edit |
| Ionian (I) | Dorian (II) | Phrygian (III) | |
| Lydian (IV) | Mixolydian (V) | Aeolian (VI) | Locrian (VII) | |
| Modes of the melodic minor scale | edit |
| Melodic minor (I) | Dorian b2 (II) | Lydian Augmented (III) | |
| Lydian Dominant (IV) | Mixolydian b13(V) | Locrian #2 (VI) | | Altered (VII) | |
