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♯mBC♯+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 four black keys (A♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯) and three white. E♯ and G𝄪 are the white keys you'd normally call F and A.
A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G𝄪
Play A♯ Neapolitan Minor on the online 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 four black keys (A♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯) and three white. E♯ and G𝄪 are the white keys you'd normally call F and A.
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.