Explore scales · Ukulele
E♭ neapolitan major scale on ukulele
E♭ neapolitan major contains E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, and D. On ukulele, Box 1 places the root on string 3, fret 3 and string 1, fret 6.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7
How do you play the E♭ neapolitan major scale on ukulele?
E♭ neapolitan major in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 9 notes across 4 strings, from C on the C string at fret 0 up to C on the A string at fret 3. The root falls on the C string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (C) | 0, 2, 3 | C, D, E♭ |
| 2 (E) | 0, 2 | F♭, G♭ |
| 1 (A) | 1, 3 | B♭, C |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
E♭ neapolitan major in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 10 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the C string at fret 3 up to E♭ on the A string at fret 6. The root falls on the C string at fret 3 and the A string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 5 | B♭, C |
| 3 (C) | 3, 4, 6 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 2 (E) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (A) | 3, 5, 6 | C, D, E♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
E♭ neapolitan major in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 10 notes across 4 strings, from G♭ on the C string at fret 6 up to G♭ on the A string at fret 9. The root falls on the G string at fret 8 and the A string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7, 8, 9 | D, E♭, F♭ |
| 3 (C) | 6, 8 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (E) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
| 1 (A) | 6, 7, 9 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
E♭ neapolitan major in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A♭ on the C string at fret 8 up to A♭ on the A string at fret 11. The root falls on the G string at fret 8 and the E string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8, 9, 11 | E♭, F♭, G♭ |
| 3 (C) | 8, 10 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (E) | 8, 10, 11 | C, D, E♭ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 11 | G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ neapolitan major is E♭ melodic minor with a flattened second degree, so F♭ replaces F. The scale keeps the minor third G♭, the major sixth C, and the leading tone D. That ♭2–♭3 pair creates the characteristic Neapolitan step at the bottom. Compare it with E♭ melodic minor.
When to use it
E♭ neapolitan major fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords, where the ♭2 adds a dark upper-neighbour colour. Use it over E♭ minor or E♭ 5th vamps. The leading tone D also lets it resolve to E♭ major in a Picardy third.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. It keeps the root E♭ on string 3, fret 3 and covers frets 0–3 for the full lower octave.
Common questions
Which notes are in E♭ neapolitan major?
E♭ neapolitan major contains E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C, and D. The scale is spelled 1, ♭2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Its step pattern is H, W, W, W, W, W, H. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What chords does E♭ neapolitan major fit?
E♭ neapolitan major fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. The ♭2 F♭ sits a semitone above the root, so it works over sustained minor vamps. The major seventh D also suits E♭ minor-major sounds.
Is E♭ neapolitan major the same as E♭ melodic minor?
E♭ neapolitan major differs from E♭ melodic minor only in the second degree. E♭ melodic minor uses F natural, while neapolitan major uses F♭. The other six notes are identical.