Chord Colors

A♯ Neapolitan Minor scale

About the A sharp Neapolitan Minor scale

A sharp Neapolitan Minor is used for classical minor-key writing, opera and dramatic film scoring. Think of it as a harmonic minor scale with an added flat second, dark and classical. It is A Phrygian with the seventh raised.

Its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G♯♯. The formula is H W W W H 1½ H.

Also called Neapolitan and Balinese.

Learn more about the A♯ Neapolitan Minor scale

A Neapolitan Minor draws four black keys from the piano, A, C, D, and F.

Notes and intervals

1A#A♯Root
2BBMinor 2nd
3C#C♯Minor 3rd
4D#D♯Perfect 4th
5E#E♯Perfect 5th
6F#F♯Minor 6th
7G##G♯♯Major 7th
StepsH W W W H 1½ H
Semitones1-2-2-2-1-3-1
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Fingering

Suggested fingering, follows standard fingering rules

Hand A sharpBC sharpD sharpE sharpF sharpG double sharpA sharp
Right hand21231234
Left hand21321432

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Neapolitan Minor in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

Embed this scale

Paste the snippet into a lesson page, a blog or a forum post. The card links back here.

Bb Neapolitan Minor scale on piano shown as colored note dots
Chord Colors

There's so much more to explore

Explore on the go. Over 150 chord progressions, modal mixture, build your own progressions, and more!

Try web version iOS app
Chord Colors on iPhone showing chords, guitar voicings, progressions, and scales