Neapolitan minor and major scales????

Is any of this helpful:

http://forums.guitarnoise.com/?board=theory;action=display;num=1066932814  ?

HHHMMMMM.........not really, but thanks!!!!

That wouldn't help because that is about the Neapolitan 6th chord, distantly related to the scales (via the b2), but a completely different animal.

To my way of thinking, they are both minor scales because they have a minor 3rd, but that's a minor semantic point.

The Neapolitan minor scale is:

1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7 - 8

In A, that's ABb_C_D_EF_G_A

or natural minor with a flat 2.
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The Neapolitan major scale is :

1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 -  8  

In A, that's ABb_C_D_E_F#_G#A

or major scale with a flat 2 and a minor 3.

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There is also a Neapolitan scale, which is:

1 - b2 - b3 -  4 - 5 - b6 - 7 - 8

or harmonic minor with a flat 2.

Thanks, that answered my question, ;D but two more things--what style are these scales used in mostly and what chords work well against them????

what style are these scales used in mostly

I have no idea.  My guess is Italian folk music of some sort, gypsy stuff.   Probably classical music, too.
and what chords work well against them????

Why don't you harmonise the scale and see?

Actually, these weird-azz artificial and folky scales can't be and usually aren't harmonised in the same way as the major and minor scales.   These particular ones can be though, in the  usual manner because they have the full complement of 7 notes.

Let's give it a try.

The Neapolitan minor scale is:  1 - b2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7 - 8  or in A, that's ABb_C_D_EF_G_A .

i is 1-b3-5   , A-C-E, or A minor
ii is b2-4-b6, Bb-D-F  or Bb major (The Neapolitan 6th)
III is b3-5-b7, C-E-G or C major
IV is 4-b6-8, D-F-A or D minor
V is 5-b7-b2 or E-G-Bb  or Edim
VI is b6-8-b3 or F-A-C or F major
VII is b7-b2-4 or G-Bb-D or G minor

The lack of a proper V might be limiting.  This is probably the reason why they came up with the Neapolitan major, which doesn't  have this limitation.  The other chords are fine.  Try it and see.

Try harmonising the other 2 scales in the same way and see what you come up with.

After a little thought I realised that:

The Neapolitan major should have been named the Neapolitan melodic minor.  

The Neapolitan scale should have been named the Neapolitan harmonic minor.

And what makes them Neapolitan is the flat 2.

Thanks!!!

I am an ameteur at the guitar and am learning chord construction, but I think I got it.  Here goes:

Neapolitan melodic minor:

A-C-E=A minor
Bb-D-F#=
C-E-G#=
D-F#-A=D major
E-G#-Bb=
F#-A-Bb=
G#-Bb-D=

Neapolitan harmonic minor:

A-C-E    A minor
Bb-D-F  Bb major
C-E-G   C major
D-F-A    D minor
E-G-Bb
F-A-C    F major
G-Bb-C G minor

Well, how'd I do???

ALL WRONG!!

lol just kidding, you got them all right!  ;D good job.

ill help you out with the others
A-C-E=A minor
Bb-D-F#=
C-E-G#=
D-F#-A=D major
E-G#-Bb=
F#-A-Bb=
G#-Bb-D=

Bb D F# = F# aug
C E G# = C aug

i cant see any other simple chords coming out of the other ones but ill name them horribly  :-/

E - G# - Bb = E major b5
F# - A - Bb = F# diminished b5
G# - Bb - D = G# diminished b3

(i know the changes to these chords take their name away, ie, diminished chords with flattened 3rd and 5th doesnt make them diminished, just cant think of an inversion or other name)

*********************

and from the other lot, the only one you missed out was

E G Bb, which is just E diminished.

mmmmmm...neopolitan......arrrrgggghhhh.... :P

There are German and French variations of the Neapolitan, too.

A :-)

The Neapolitan 6th chord is so mind-bogglingly simple that after reading and figuring out the complicated and convoluted explanation for it in a classical music I wanted to strangle someone for managing to wrap something so simple in such verbal diarrhea.

What is it?

The Neapolitan 6th is a bII major used as a passing chord when moving to the I

I.e. in the key of C, if you moved to C via a Db (C#) major, that would be a Neapolitan 6th.

Why 6th?

Glad you asked.  Well, what notes does the Db major have?   Db (1), F(3) and Ab(5).  What's the 6th in C?  A.  So the Ab is ( a kind of 6th).  For voice leading reasons, the chord is often played inverted with the Ab in the bass, hence 6th.  Voila.