C Neapolitan Major Scale

What is the C 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 C 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 C, the notes are: C, Db, Eb, F, G, A, B.

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.

Practice root-on-E and root-on-A boxes separately, then connect them with one clean position shift. Use the interactive fretboard above to spot repeats of the same note on different strings and frets.