Neapolitan scale

In music, the major Neapolitan scale and the minor Neapolitan scale are two musical scales. Both scales are minor, despite their names.

Neapolitan minor scale on C Play .
Neapolitan major scale on C Play .

The sequence of scale 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, WH, 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 the harmonic and ascending melodic minor scales by the lowered supertonic 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 a minor second above the tonic.

Both are accompanied well by power or minor chords.[1]

The 4th mode of the Neapolitan major, also known as the Lydian Minor scale, is an excellent choice for the 9♯11/♭13 (no 5) 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 the major Locrian scale.

Modes

The scale contains the following modes: [5] [6]

Mode Name of scale Degrees
1 Neapolitan Minor1♭2♭345♭678
2 Lydian ♯6123♯45♯678
3 Mixolydian Augmented1234♯56♭78
4 Romani Minor (or Aeolian ♯4)12♭3♯45♭6♭78
5 Locrian Dominant1♭234♭5♭6♭78
6 Ionian ♯21♯2345678
7 Ultralocrian 31♭23♭4♭5♭678
Mode Name of scale Degrees
1 Neapolitan Major1♭2♭345678
2 Leading Whole Tone123♯4♯5♯678
3 Lydian Augmented Dominant123♯4♯56♭78
4 Lydian Dominant b6123♯45♭6♭78
5 Major Locrian1234♭5♭6♭78
6 Half-Diminished ♭4 (or Superlocrian ♯2)12♭3♭4♭5♭6♭78
7 Superlocrian 31♭23♭4♭5♭6♭78

See also

Sources
  1. Celentano, Dave (1991). Monster Scales and Modes, p.44. Published by CentreStream. ISBN 0-931759-59-5.
  2. Burrows, Terry (1999). How to Read Music: Reading Music Made Simple, p.90. ISBN 9780312241599.
  3. Roth, Dana (2011). Encyclopedia of Scales and Modes for Electric Bass, p.9. ISBN 9781609749767.
  4. Blatter, Alfred (2012). Revisiting Music Theory: A Guide to the Practice, p.87 & 89. ISBN 9781135870393.
  5. http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/manuals/manuals-ubuntu/EN/Solfege/docs.solfege.org/3.22/C/scales/nea.html
  6. https://www.mymusictheory.org/scale/neapolitan_minor_modes

Further reading
  • Hewitt, Michael. Musical Scales of the World, . The Note Tree. 2013. ISBN 978-0957547001.


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