Neapolitan scale

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

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

The sequence of scale steps for the Neapolitan minor is as follows:[1][2][3][4]

1  b2  b3 4  5  b6 7  8
A  Bb  C  D  E  F  G# A

[H, W, W, W, H, WH, H

C  Db  Eb F  G  Ab B  C]

W = Whole step

H = Half step

WH = Whole-and-a-half step

And for the Neapolitan major:[1][2][3][4]

1  b2  b3 4  5  6  7  8
A  Bb  C  D  E  F# G# A

[ H, W, W, W, W, W, H

C  Db  Eb F  G  A  B  C]

W = Whole step

H = Half step

WH = Whole-and-a-half step

Thus the scales are distinguished from the harmonic and ascending melodic minor scales by the lowered supertonic or second scale degree.

Both are accompanied well by power(also called a Fifth chord) or minor chords.[1]

Modern Lydian scale on C  Play .
Hungarian "gypsy" scale on C[5]  Play .

The 5th mode of the Neapolitan major is also known as the major Locrian scale.

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Celentano, Dave (1991). Monster Scales and Modes, p.44. Published by CentreStream. ISBN 0-931759-59-5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Burrows, Terry (1999). How to Read Music: Reading Music Made Simple, p.90. ISBN 9780312241599.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roth, Dana (2011). Encyclopedia of Scales and Modes for Electric Bass, p.9. ISBN 9781609749767.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Blatter, Alfred (2012). Revisiting Music Theory: A Guide to the Practice, p.87 & 89. ISBN 9781135870393.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Paul (1973). Perspectives in Music Theory: An Historical-Analytical Approach, p.18. ISBN 0-396-06752-2.

Further reading