STRINGSCALES

D neapolitan major Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, A, B, C#, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11

A string: A, B, C#, D, Eb, F, G, A at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

D string: D, Eb, F, G, A, B, C#, D at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

G string: G, A, B, C#, D, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

B string: B, C#, D, Eb, F, G, A, B at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

High E string: F, G, A, B, C#, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11

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D 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:

D

i

Dm
E♭

bII+

E♭aug
F

bIII+

Faug
G

IV

Gmaj
A

V

Amaj♭5
B

vi°

Bdim
C♯

VII

E♭7no5/C#

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

Eb leading whole toneF lydian augmented dominantG lydian dominant b6A major locrianB half-diminished b4C# 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 (Eb) 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 (Eb) major triad); the scale bridges both harmonies.
  • Think melodic minor with a flat 2nd: your D melodic minor fingering needs only one altered note.
  • Write a two-bar phrase where bar one uses only root, b2 (Eb), b3 (F) and bar two only IV, V, VI, VII; the scale's split personality becomes the hook.

How to play D neapolitan major on guitar

Open D doubles the root while open A gives the fifth, so Dm can sit under a line with two strings left ringing. Open G and open B belong as well, which means four of six strings need no hand at all. One sharp, and the first box reaches fret 14. A locrian major fingers these same frets from seven semitones up, so the pattern transfers whole.

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