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