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