About the A flat Enigmatic Descending scale
A flat Enigmatic Descending is used for experimental and cinematic music. Think of it as the descending form of the enigmatic scale, just as strange. It is A♭ Enigmatic Ascending with the fourth lowered.
Its notes are A♭, B♭♭, C, D♭, E, F♯, and G. The formula is H 1½ H 1½ W H H.
E, A, and G are open guitar strings that sit inside the key, ready to drone under a riff. On guitar, the deepest A♭ within reach is the 4th fret of the low E string. A capo at the first fret brings A♭ Enigmatic Descending within reach of G-shape fingerings.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
CAGED
Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.
3NPS
3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.
7-position system
7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | AbA♭ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | BbbB♭♭ | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | CC | Major 3rd |
| 4 | DbD♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | EE | Augmented 5th |
| 6 | F#F♯ | Augmented 6th |
| 7 | GG | Major 7th |
| Steps | H 1½ H 1½ W H H |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-3-1-3-2-1-1 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 3 4 ♯5 ♯6 7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Enigmatic Descending in other keys
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