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