Inmusic, themajor Neapolitan scale and theminor Neapolitan scale are twomusical scales. Both scales areminor, in that they both contain aminor third above the root. The major and minor Neapolitan scales are instead differentiated by the quality of theirsixth.
The sequence ofscale steps for the Neapolitan minor is as follows:[1][2][3][4]
| 1 | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||
| A | B♭ | C | D | E | F | G♯ | A | |||||||
| H | W | W | W | H | W+H | H | ||||||||
| C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B | C |
And for the Neapolitan major:[1][2][3][4]
| 1 | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||
| A | B♭ | C | D | E | F♯ | G♯ | A | |||||||
| H | W | W | W | W | W | H | ||||||||
| C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A | B | C |
The scales are distinguished from theharmonic and ascendingmelodic minor scales by the loweredsupertonic or second scale degree. This could also be known as the "Phrygian harmonic minor" or "Phrygian melodic minor." The scale therefore shares with the Phrygian mode the property of having aminor second above the tonic.
Both are accompanied well bypower orminor chords.[1]
The 4th mode of the Neapolitan major, also known as the Lydian Dominant♭6 scale, is an excellent choice for the 9♯11♭13 chord. Said mode contains all the alterations plus the♮5. A whole tone scale is often used but that mode tends to be minus the♮5 that the Lydian Minor contains.
The 5th mode of the Neapolitan major is also known as themajor Locrian scale.
The scale contains the following modes:[5][6]
| Mode | Name of scale | Degrees | Notes (on C Neap. Minor) | Triad Chords | Seventh Chords | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neapolitan Minor | 1 | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | 7 | 8 | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B | C | Cm | Cmmaj7 |
| 2 | Lydian♯6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ♯4 | 5 | ♯6 | 7 | 8 | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B | C | D♭ | D♭ | D♭maj7 or D♭♯6 (equivalent to D♭7) |
| 3 | Mixolydian Augmented | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ♯5 | 6 | ♭7 | 8 | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | E♭+ | E♭+7 |
| 4 | Romani Minor (or Aeolian/Natural Minor♯4) | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | ♯4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | F | G | A♭ | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | Fm | Fm7 |
| 5 | Locrian Dominant | 1 | ♭2 | 3 | 4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | G | A♭ | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | G♭5 | G7♭5 |
| 6 | Ionian/Major♯2 | 1 | ♯2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | A♭ | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | A♭ or A♭m | A♭maj7 or A♭mmaj7 |
| 7 | Ultralocrian/Altered Diminished 3 | 1 | ♭2 | 3 | ♭4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | 7 | 8 | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B | *B♭5 | **B 6♭5 |
| Mode | Name of scale | Degrees | Notes (on C Neap. Major) | Triad Chords | Seventh Chords | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neapolitan Major | 1 | ♭2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A | B | C | Cm | Cmmaj7 |
| 2 | Leading Whole Tone (or Lydian Augmented♯6) | 1 | 2 | 3 | ♯4 | ♯5 | ♯6 | 7 | 8 | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A | B | C | D♭ | D♭+ | D♭+maj7 or D♭+♯6 (equivalent to D♭+7) |
| 3 | Lydian Augmented Dominant | 1 | 2 | 3 | ♯4 | ♯5 | 6 | ♭7 | 8 | E♭ | F | G | A | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | E♭+ | E♭+7 |
| 4 | Lydian Dominant ♭6 (or Melodic Major♯4) | 1 | 2 | 3 | ♯4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | F | G | A | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | F | F7 |
| 5 | Major Locrian | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | G | A | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | G♭5 | G7♭5 |
| 6 | Half-Diminished♭4 (orAltered Dominant♯2) | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | ♭4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | A | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A | Aο or *A♭5 | Aø7 or ***A7♭5 |
| 7 | Altered Dominant3 | 1 | ♭2 | 3 | ♭4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 | B | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A | B | *B♭5 | ***B7♭5 |
7 enharmonic to 6, so the 6th chords is available instead of 7th (thus being used here).