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B♭ neapolitan major Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

A string: A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, G, A at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

D string: Eb, F, G, A, Bb, Cb, Db at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11

G string: G, A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

B string: Cb, Db, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12

High E string: F, G, A, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

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Bb neapolitan major

The neapolitan major scale is a melodic minor scale with a flat 2nd: only the opening half step is dark, and everything from the 4th up is pure major brightness. That lopsided design gives melodies a shadowed start and a radiant finish. It generates its own mode family, including the leading whole tone and major locrian scales.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

B♭

i

B♭m
C♭

bII+

C♭aug
D♭

bIII+

D♭aug
E♭

IV

E♭maj
F

V

Fmaj♭5
G

vi°

Gdim
A

VII

C♭7no5/A

Same notes, different mode

Bb neapolitan major uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

Cb leading whole toneDb lydian augmented dominantEb lydian dominant b6F major locrianG half-diminished b4A altered dominant double b3

neapolitan major in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Dark start, bright finish: open phrases with the b2 (B) against the root, then climb into the pure-major top half (VI and VII).
  • Use it over a major chord approached from its Neapolitan (the bII (B) major triad); the scale bridges both harmonies.
  • Think melodic minor with a flat 2nd: your Bb melodic minor fingering needs only one altered note.
  • Write a two-bar phrase where bar one uses only root, b2 (B), b3 (Db) and bar two only IV, V, VI, VII; the scale's split personality becomes the hook.

How to play B♭ neapolitan major on guitar

Open A and open G sit in this key as seventh and sixth above the root, so two strings drone under Bbm work. Open B counts as Cb here, which means a third string joins them without any adjustment. Root at fret 1, A string. First box lasts to fret 10, which means the capo at fret 1 for A shapes stays optional.

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