Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
E Neapolitan major
Melodic minor with a ♭2. Dark but smooth, a little regal.
Where you hear it: Over minor tonics with a ♭9 colour.
Step pattern H – W – W – W – W – W – H
- Compared with E major: ♭2 F♯ → F, ♭3 G♯ → G
- Compared with E natural minor: ♭2 F♯ → F, ♯6 C → C♯, ♯7 D → D♯
E Neapolitan major on the guitar
Pick a position below to outline it on the neck.
in the pentatonic r ♭3 4 5 7: playedother notes of Neapolitan major: not playedPlay runs up the position from its lowest note and back down; Sample melody plays a short tune using only its notes. Tap a position's name to see it on the neck.
Modes with the same notes as E Neapolitan major
Neapolitan major is a scale of its own, not a mode of the major, harmonic minor or melodic minor scale, so no named mode shares its notes.
Every chord in E Neapolitan major
- Em(maj7)1/7mediumfret 7
- Fmaj7♯51/18easyfret 1· shell
- G7♯51/12easyfret 3· shell
- A71/21easyopen
- B7♭51/11easyfret 2
- C♯m7♭51/15easyfret 4· shell
- D♯sus2(♭5)(?)1/3easyfret 6· adds mode notes
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Sus and extension chords from each chord
From Em you can go through the 2nd of the scale to sus2 and 9 chords, through the 4th to sus4 and 11, and so on. All seven chords of E Neapolitan major.
Hover or focus a small bubble for what it is, click to keep the note open.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Closest shape: leaves out a colour note.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
No common guitar shape for this chord in the library.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.