Explore scales · Bass
A♭ neapolitan major scale on bass guitar
A♭ neapolitan major contains A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, and G. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 4 for a low-position shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7
How do you play the A♭ neapolitan major scale on bass?
A♭ neapolitan major in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 10 notes across 4 strings, from F on the E string at fret 1 up to C♭ on the G string at fret 4. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the G string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1, 3, 4 | F, G, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 2, 4 | C♭, D♭ |
| 2 (D) | 1, 3 | E♭, F |
| 1 (G) | 1, 2, 4 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
A♭ neapolitan major in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D♭ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 4 and the D string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 5, 7 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (D) | 5, 6, 7 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 6 | C♭, D♭ |
Box 3 · frets 7–10
A♭ neapolitan major in box 3 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 8 notes across 4 strings, from C♭ on the E string at fret 7 up to F on the G string at fret 10. No root falls inside this box; it sits between two of them.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 7, 9 | C♭, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 8, 10 | F, G |
| 2 (D) | 7, 9 | B♭♭, C♭ |
| 1 (G) | 8, 10 | E♭, F |
Box 4 · frets 9–12
A♭ neapolitan major in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 9 notes across 4 strings, from D♭ on the E string at fret 9 up to G on the G string at fret 12. The root falls on the A string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 10, 11, 12 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 11 | C♭, D♭ |
| 1 (G) | 10, 12 | F, G |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
A♭ neapolitan major in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to B♭♭ on the G string at fret 14. The root falls on the A string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 13 | E♭, F |
| 3 (A) | 11, 12, 14 | A♭, B♭♭, C♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 12, 13, 14 | G, A♭, B♭♭ |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ neapolitan major is A♭ melodic minor with the second degree lowered to B♭♭. The scale keeps the major 6th and major 7th, so it has a leading tone and a tritone. Compare it with A♭ melodic minor to hear the ♭2 change.
When to use it
A♭ neapolitan major fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords. Use it over A♭ minor for a dark colour, or over A♭ 5th for a tense line.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. The root sits on string 4, fret 4, with the ♭2 one fret higher, making the half-step motion easy to hear.
Common questions
What notes are in A♭ neapolitan major?
A♭ neapolitan major contains A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, and G. The scale has a ♭2, ♭3, major 6th, and major 7th. It is a seven-note scale. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit A♭ neapolitan major?
A♭ neapolitan major fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords. The ♭2 and ♭3 add tension over these chords. Use it for a dark, exotic sound.
How is A♭ neapolitan major different from A♭ melodic minor?
A♭ neapolitan major lowers the second degree to B♭♭ compared to A♭ melodic minor. The rest of the notes are the same. This creates a distinctive half-step at the start.