C♭ 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 C♭, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where C♭ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | C♭ D𝄫 E𝄫 F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B♭ |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2m · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7M |
| Step pattern | H W W W H W+H H |
| Chords in the key | C♭mD𝄫E𝄫+F♭mG♭(♭5)A𝄫B♭–D𝄫–F♭ |
Chords in the C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
C♭ Neapolitan Minor on the piano
Improvisation drone · C♭
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano C♭ Neapolitan Minor uses two black keys (G♭ and B♭) and five white. C♭, D𝄫, E𝄫, F♭ and A𝄫 are the white keys you'd normally call B, C, D, E and G.
C♭ · D𝄫 · E𝄫 · F♭ · G♭ · A𝄫 · B♭
Try C♭ Neapolitan Minor on the virtual piano
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C♭ Neapolitan Minor on the guitar
C♭ Neapolitan Minor - fr 0–12
C♭ Neapolitan Minor on the staff
Notes of the C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♭ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | D𝄫 | minor 2nd2m | 1 | |
| 3 | E𝄫 | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 4 | F♭ | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 5 | G♭ | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 6 | A𝄫 | minor 6th6m | 8 | |
| 7 | B♭ | major 7th7M | 11 |
What makes C♭ 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 C♭, C♭ Neapolitan Minor has D𝄫 where C♭ Harmonic Minor has D♭; every other note is shared with C♭ Harmonic Minor (C♭ D♭ E𝄫 F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B♭).
How to use the C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale
The diatonic chords of C♭ Neapolitan Minor are: i = C♭m, II = D𝄫, III+ = E𝄫+, iv = F♭m, V♭5 = G♭(♭5), VI = A𝄫, VII = B♭–D𝄫–F♭. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in C♭ 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 C♭ 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 C♭ Neapolitan Minor
Start with the music described above: listen for C♭ 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 C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
The C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale contains C♭, D𝄫, E𝄫, F♭, G♭, A𝄫 and B♭.
What is the formula for the C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
C♭ Neapolitan Minor follows harmonic minor with a flat second degree, popularised by Italian opera.
Is C♭ Neapolitan Minor a major or minor scale?
C♭ Neapolitan Minor is a neapolitan minor scale. Harmonic minor with a flat second - dark, classical and instantly recognisable.
What chords belong to the C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
The diatonic chords of C♭ Neapolitan Minor are C♭m, D𝄫, E𝄫+, F♭m, G♭(♭5), A𝄫, B♭–D𝄫–F♭.
Which genres use C♭ 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 C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale on the piano?
On the piano C♭ Neapolitan Minor uses two black keys (G♭ and B♭) and five white. C♭, D𝄫, E𝄫, F♭ and A𝄫 are the white keys you'd normally call B, C, D, E and G.
What is the difference between C♭ Neapolitan Minor and C♭ Harmonic Minor?
On C♭, C♭ Neapolitan Minor has D𝄫 where C♭ Harmonic Minor has D♭; every other note is shared with C♭ Harmonic Minor (C♭ D♭ E𝄫 F♭ G♭ A𝄫 B♭).
How do I practise the C♭ Neapolitan Minor scale?
Practise this alongside harmonic minor to feel the difference that flat second makes.