Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
C Neapolitan minor
Harmonic minor with a ♭2. Dark, operatic, Phrygian minor.
Where you hear it: Over i – ♭II – V7 in minor keys.
Step pattern H – W – W – W – H – W+H – H
- Compared with C major: ♭2 D → D♭, ♭3 E → E♭, ♭6 A → A♭
- Compared with C natural minor: ♭2 D → D♭, ♯7 B♭ → B
C Neapolitan minor 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 minor: 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 C Neapolitan minor
Neapolitan minor 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 C Neapolitan minor
- Cm(maj7)1/4mediumfret 3
- D♭maj71/27easyfret 9· shell
- E♭7♯51/11easyfret 8· shell
- Fm71/19easyfret 1· shell
- G7♭51/10easyfret 3· shell
- A♭maj71/15easyfret 4· shell
No shape in the library for this chord yet.
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 Cm 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 C Neapolitan minor.
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.
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.