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E♭ neapolitan minor scale on guitar
E♭ neapolitan minor uses E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D. Box 2 keeps the root on the fifth string for a balanced stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7
How do you play the E♭ neapolitan minor scale on guitar?
E♭ neapolitan minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 13 notes across 6 strings, from F♭ on the low E string at fret 0 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 2. The root falls on the D string at fret 1.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 0, 1, 2 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 0, 3 | C♭, D |
| 1 (e) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
E♭ neapolitan minor in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 13 notes across 6 strings, from G♭ on the low E string at fret 2 up to A♭ on the high e string at fret 4. The root falls on the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2, 4 | G♭, A♭ |
| 5 (A) | 2, 5 | C♭, D |
| 4 (D) | 2, 4 | F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 3, 4 | B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 3, 4, 5 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 1 (e) | 2, 4 | G♭, A♭ |
Box 3 · frets 4–7
E♭ neapolitan minor in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 16 notes across 6 strings, from A♭ on the low E string at fret 4 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 5, 6, 7 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 4 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 4, 7 | C♭, D |
| 2 (B) | 4, 5, 7 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
Box 4 · frets 6–9
E♭ neapolitan minor in box 4 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 15 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 7, 8, 9 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 2 (B) | 7, 9 | G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
E♭ neapolitan minor in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 16 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 14. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11, the D string at fret 13 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 11, 13, 14 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 12, 13, 14 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12 | B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 12, 14 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ neapolitan minor is E♭ harmonic minor with the second degree lowered a half step to F♭. The step pattern is H, W, W, W, H, 1½, H. The ♭2 sits a semitone above the tonic. Compare with E♭ harmonic minor to hear the lowered second degree.
When to use it
Use it over E♭ minor progressions with a ♭II chord like E major. It fits neoclassical metal and dark jazz fusion. The ♭2 adds a Phrygian-like colour.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 2 first: the root is on string 5, fret 6, and the ♭2 is one fret higher. It covers frets 2–5 and sets up Box 3.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ neapolitan minor?
E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D. The scale has a half step between E♭ and F♭. The 1½ step occurs between C♭ and D. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords fit E♭ neapolitan minor?
The tonic chord is E♭ minor. The ♭II chord is E major. The v chord is B♭ 7th flat 5. These chords highlight the scale's altered degrees.
How is E♭ neapolitan minor different from E♭ harmonic minor?
E♭ harmonic minor has F natural, while neapolitan minor has F♭. This lowers the second degree by a half step. The rest of the scale is identical.