A♭ Neapolitan Minor at a glance
Neapolitan minor got popular in 18th-century Italian opera. Works great for dark, dramatic classical and film scoring contexts. Built on the root A♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where A♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | A♭ B𝄫 C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7M |
| Step pattern | H W W W H W+H H |
| Chords in the key | A♭mB𝄫C♭+D♭mE♭(♭5)F♭G–B𝄫–D♭ |
Chords in the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
A♭ Neapolitan Minor on the piano
Improvisation drone · A♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano A♭ Neapolitan Minor uses three black keys (A♭, D♭ and E♭) and four white. B𝄫, C♭ and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call A, B and E.
A♭ · B𝄫 · C♭ · D♭ · E♭ · F♭ · G
Try A♭ Neapolitan Minor on the virtual piano
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A♭ Neapolitan Minor on the guitar
A♭ Neapolitan Minor - fr 0–12
A♭ Neapolitan Minor on the staff
Notes of the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | B𝄫 | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | C♭ | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 4 | D♭ | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 5 | E♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 6 | F♭ | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | G | major 7th7M | 11 |
What makes A♭ Neapolitan Minor different
Neapolitan minor is harmonic minor with a lowered second. That ♭2 is the only note separating it from harmonic minor, and it builds the Neapolitan ♭II chord into the scale. Its first four notes match Phrygian while its top half matches harmonic minor, leading tone included. The result is a minor scale with half steps on both sides of the tonic. On A♭, A♭ Neapolitan Minor has B𝄫 where A♭ Harmonic Minor has B♭; every other note is shared with A♭ Harmonic Minor (A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G).
How to use the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale
The diatonic chords of A♭ Neapolitan Minor are: i = A♭m, II = B𝄫, III+ = C♭+, iv = D♭m, V♭5 = E♭(♭5), VI = F♭, VII = G–B𝄫–D♭. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in A♭ Neapolitan Minor. Each one in the chord table on this page opens its own diagram and progressions.
Neapolitan minor got popular in 18th-century Italian opera. Works great for dark, dramatic classical and film scoring contexts.
Practice tips
Practise this alongside harmonic minor to feel the difference that flat second makes.
Formula & step pattern
The A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale follows harmonic minor with a flat second degree, popularised by Italian opera. Step pattern: H - W - W - W - H - W+H - H. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2m · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7M. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear A♭ Neapolitan Minor
Start with the music described above: listen for A♭ Neapolitan Minor in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
The A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale contains A♭, B𝄫, C♭, D♭, E♭, F♭ and G.
What is the formula for the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
A♭ Neapolitan Minor follows harmonic minor with a flat second degree, popularised by Italian opera.
Is A♭ Neapolitan Minor a major or minor scale?
A♭ Neapolitan Minor is a neapolitan minor scale. Harmonic minor with a flat second - dark, classical and instantly recognisable.
What chords belong to the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
The diatonic chords of A♭ Neapolitan Minor are A♭m, B𝄫, C♭+, D♭m, E♭(♭5), F♭, G–B𝄫–D♭.
Which genres use A♭ Neapolitan Minor?
Neapolitan minor got popular in 18th-century Italian opera. Works great for dark, dramatic classical and film scoring contexts.
How do you play the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale on the piano?
On the piano A♭ Neapolitan Minor uses three black keys (A♭, D♭ and E♭) and four white. B𝄫, C♭ and F♭ are the white keys you'd normally call A, B and E.
What is the difference between A♭ Neapolitan Minor and A♭ Harmonic Minor?
On A♭, A♭ Neapolitan Minor has B𝄫 where A♭ Harmonic Minor has B♭; every other note is shared with A♭ Harmonic Minor (A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G).
How do I practise the A♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
Practise this alongside harmonic minor to feel the difference that flat second makes.