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♯mDE+F♯mG♯(♭5)AB♯–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 three black keys (C♯, F♯ and G♯) and four white. B♯ is the white key you'd normally call C.
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
Play C♯ Neapolitan Minor on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
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 three black keys (C♯, F♯ and G♯) and four white. B♯ is the white key you'd normally call C.
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.