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♯mGA+BmC♯(♭5)DE♯–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 two black keys (F♯ and C♯) and five white. E♯ is the white key you'd normally call F.
F♯ · G · A · B · C♯ · D · E♯
Try F♯ Neapolitan Minor on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
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 = Bm, 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+, Bm, 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 two black keys (F♯ and C♯) and five white. E♯ is the white key you'd normally call F.
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.