A Neapolitan Major Scale

What is the A Neapolitan Major Scale?

The Neapolitan major scale is a major scale with a lowered 2nd degree (♭2), creating a lush but unsettling sound that's been used in classical composition since the Baroque era. The contrast between the bright major tonality and the dark ♭2 makes it one of the most unusual major-type scales available. Here's how the A Neapolitan Major Scale lays out on the fretboard.

Notes and Positions

Minor scale with a lowered 2nd and natural 6th and 7th; tense, dramatic, and brighter than Neapolitan minor. On bass, the fretboard view helps you visualize where the important tones sit for building lines across positions. Use a finger-per-fret approach first, then add shifts only when the line needs a wider range. In the key of A, the notes are: A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G#.

How to Use It

You'll often hear it in Classical, Film Scores, and Modern Jazz. A good way to internalize the sound is to sing the root, then sing a few scale degrees before you play them.

Start with the root on beat 1, add the 5th on beat 3, then work the other scale tones in as passing notes. Use the interactive fretboard above to spot repeats of the same note on different strings and frets.