Enigmatic

[The Bash]

I had a question regarding this scale I saw mentioned
C-Db-E-F#-G#-A#-B-C

This whole scales an enigma to me. Joe musta ben really bored one day.

C-E-G# would be and Aug. I chord if I’m in the ballpark.
I’m assuming were still stacking 3rds however weird they look.
I tried that with the whole scale. Interesting enough to clear a barroom.
Would you call this an augmented scale?
I would, but then again I’ve no idea what I’m doing.
Is there any kind of trick to that scale or is it just pretty much an enigma.
I’m going back to that cool Steve Morse etude, least then only my fingers will hurt, not my brain.

[EricV]

Hi...

well, it´s tough to define that one. By the way, this scale has been around for a long time. Joe just kinda found it and tried to create something with it.
That´s why the song ( "The Enigmatic" ) is not one of my faves... it´s a bit "See what we can do with this weird scale", kind of like an experiment.
But I don´t wanna put Joe down, after all he´s one of my main influences and a great & very creative player...

Yeah, you can still harmonice that scale. When I learned it, I mostly jammed on it over a pedaltone or two instead of making up a chord progression derived from it...

I like the stuff Joe does with the regular modes, though... have you ever heard "Turkey Man" ( a track from a "Engines Of Creation"-bonus CD ) ? Great tune, great atmosphere...

Warm regards
Eric

[The Bash]

Db-E-F#-G#-A#-B-C-Db

I guess this would be like the second mode. Its interesting cause its wwwwhhh.
Ok here’s a stupid question. What would you call the first chord?
Db-F#-A# = personally even though I’d flunk a theory test doing it I’d call it F# Major
for practical purposes.
But I agree pedal tones the way to go, (I like listening to a lot of sitar stuff, and pedal or drone tones or cool for running up and down one string throwing in ¼ bends. Which no longer makes it enigmatic technically but it sounds, better at least to me.)
This is the point for me where theory breaks down and does it really matter what I call it takes over.
And I’ve never heard Turkey Man (Yet.) It’s now on my to do list.
Thnxs

[Guni]

Well, I listened to that tune for a few times .... mmmm lemme just call it 'experimental' :D

The scale itself is actually quite interesting.

Db-E-F#-G#-A#-B-C-Db Well, I'd rename the notes to

Db Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb C
so we get
1 b3 4 5 6 b7 7

1st part is like minor pentatonic - second part looks like the Bebop scale. I don't know if this term exists but in the name of science I would call that a hybrid scale - hehe

Guni

[The Bash]

A bit of curiosity, invention of the Enigmatic scale was attributed to Italian Composer
Giuseppe Verdi and used in his 1897 Ave Maria Opera.
I use invented rather loosely because I’m not sure anybody ever truly invents anything.
I believe either:
A) He heard it used before, and consciously or subconsciously borrowed the idea
B) It was just an accident. He merely followed the sounds in his head.
At any rate I doubt he was truly the first to ever accidentally or purposely use the idea. His just happened to be the first documented use.

A further mystery is Verdi’s association with French Egyptologist A.F.F. Mariette who commissioned and Verdi to compose the Opera Aida (1971) based on his rough short story sketch.
To my knowledge we have no surviving records, or at least readable records, of Ancient Egyptian Music. Therefore we really have no idea just what Egyptian music really sounded like, it could of sounded like Ac/Dc for all we truly know.
Could the Enigmatic be a lost Egyptian musical artifact. And if so it was most likely mutated somewhat to fit our 12 tone system. Or who knows maybe the Egyptians used a 12 tone system as well.

I kind of picture em jamming out Louie, Louie while they Aliens from Cygnus X-1, now enthralled in a great rock n roll frenzy, hastily erected the mighty pyramids in there honor of there musical three chord genius.
Then again…

[EricV]

Quite interesting... who would have thought that Verdi was the one who kinda made it popular, or "invented it" ? :)