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E♭ neapolitan major scale on bass guitar
E♭ neapolitan major contains E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, and D. Box 1 places the root on string 2, fret 1 for a low-position shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7
How do you play the E♭ neapolitan major scale on bass?
E♭ neapolitan major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 9 notes across 4 strings, from F♭ on the E string at fret 0 up to B♭ on the G string at fret 3. The root falls on the D string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 1, 3 | B♭, C |
| 2 (D) | 0, 1, 2 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
E♭ neapolitan major in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 8 notes across 4 strings, from G♭ on the E string at fret 2 up to C on the G string at fret 5. 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) | 2, 4 | G♭, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 3, 5 | C, D |
| 2 (D) | 2, 4 | F♭, G♭ |
| 1 (G) | 3, 5 | B♭, C |
Box 3 · frets 4–7
E♭ neapolitan major in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 9 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the E string at fret 4 up to D on the G string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (A) | 5, 6, 7 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 5, 7 | C, D |
Box 4 · frets 6–9
E♭ neapolitan major in box 4 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 10 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to F♭ on the G string at fret 9. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
| 3 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (G) | 7, 8, 9 | D, E♭, F♭ |
Box 5 · frets 8–11
E♭ neapolitan major in box 5 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from C on the E string at fret 8 up to G♭ on the G string at fret 11. The root falls on the E string at fret 11 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8, 10, 11 | C, D, E♭ |
| 3 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 8, 10 | B♭, C |
| 1 (G) | 8, 9, 11 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
Box 6 · frets 11–14
E♭ neapolitan major in box 6 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the E string at fret 11 and the D string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 12, 13, 14 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ neapolitan major is E♭ melodic minor with the second degree lowered to F♭. The scale keeps the major 6th and major 7th, so it has a leading tone and a tritone. Compare it with E♭ melodic minor to hear the ♭2 change.
When to use it
E♭ neapolitan major fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. Use it over E♭ minor for a dark colour, or over E♭ 5th for a tense line.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. The root sits on string 2, fret 1, with the ♭2 one fret higher, making the half-step motion easy to hear.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ neapolitan major?
E♭ neapolitan major contains E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, and D. The scale has a ♭2, ♭3, major 6th, and major 7th. It is a seven-note scale. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit E♭ neapolitan major?
E♭ neapolitan major fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. The ♭2 and ♭3 add tension over these chords. Use it for a dark, exotic sound.
How is E♭ neapolitan major different from E♭ melodic minor?
E♭ neapolitan major lowers the second degree to F♭ compared to E♭ melodic minor. The rest of the notes are the same. This creates a distinctive half-step at the start.