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