Neapolitan scale

In

The sequence of

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

Both are accompanied well by power or minor 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 (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								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	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 (or Altered 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 Dominant 3	1	♭2	3	♭4	♭5	♭6	♭7	8	B	C	D♭	E♭	F	G	A	B	*B♭5	***B7♭5

Notes :

• * While this triad consisted of 1, ♭4 (~3), and ♭5 notes, this is not really a normal triad since no use of 3rd-grade notes (in B : D or D♯/E♭). Instead, this triad more likely shaped as sus♭4 triad (although ♭4 is enharmonic to 3).
• ** 7 enharmonic to 6, so the 6th chords is available instead of 7th (thus being used here).
• *** These chords can actually be respelled as 7alt (the 7♭5 is one of the altered dominant chords).

See also

• Neapolitan chord
• Neapolitan school

Sources

Further reading

• Hewitt, Michael. Musical Scales of the World,[
  ISBN 978-0957547001
  .