B♭ Neapolitan Major Scale
Notes in the B♭ Neapolitan Major Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | B♭ | 466.164 Hz |
| ♭2 | Neapolitan 2nd | B | 493.883 Hz |
| ♭3 | Minor Mediant | D♭ | 277.183 Hz |
| 4 | Subdominant | E♭ | 311.127 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | F | 349.228 Hz |
| 6 | Major Submediant | G | 391.995 Hz |
| 7 | Leading Tone | A | 440.000 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half Step (H) | 1 | B♭ | B |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | B | D♭ |
| 3 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | D♭ | E♭ |
| 4 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E♭ | F |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | F | G |
| 6 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | G | A |
| 7 | Half Step (H) | 1 | A | B♭ |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | B♭ minor | minor |
| ♭2 | B | B augmented | augmented |
| ♭3 | D♭ | D♭ augmented | augmented |
| 4 | E♭ | E♭ | major |
| 5 | F | F (complex) | other |
| 6 | G | G diminished | diminished |
| 7 | A | A (complex) | other |
Key Signature
2 ♭ — The B♭ key signature uses B♭, E♭.
B♭ Neapolitan Major Scale in Practice
The B♭ Neapolitan Major Scale uses the key signature of 2 flats (B♭, E♭). Bb major has two flats (Bb, Eb) and is extremely common in jazz and wind ensemble music. It is the home key for Bb instruments such as the trumpet and tenor saxophone. On guitar, B♭ positions offer comfortable transposing instrument keys for this scale.
The Neapolitan major scale starts with a half step and flat 2nd degree, derived from the Neapolitan chord in classical harmony. It has a rich, romantic character used in classical and contemporary composition.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | 466.164 Hz | 463.538 Hz | 470.926 Hz |
| B | 493.883 Hz | 495.000 Hz | 490.548 Hz |
| D♭ | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| E♭ | 311.127 Hz | 309.026 Hz | 313.951 Hz |
| F | 349.228 Hz | 347.654 Hz | 348.834 Hz |
| G | 391.995 Hz | 391.111 Hz | 392.438 Hz |
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
Related Scales
Transposing Instruments: B♭ Neapolitan Major Scale
B♭ is a natural key for B♭ instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax), which sound a major second lower than written. B♭ instruments reading in C produce B♭ concert pitch. E♭ instruments (alto sax, baritone sax) reading in B♭ sound a major sixth lower.