Neapolitan Chord
Dr. B Music Theory


Neapolitan chord notation is bII or N. It's more common in minor keys than in major keys.

Often find in first inversion. With N6, double the bass. With root position, also double the bass.

Select minor key:

Harmonic diagram to use N6.

From basic sequence:

% ['P1','m','i','T'],['m6','','VI','SD'],['M2/m3','°','II°|6','SD'],['P5','7','V7','D'],['P1','m','i','T']
Q:1/1=40 %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Cm"x | "Ab"x | "D°/F"x | "G7"x | "Cm"x |] [V:D] "i"x | "VI"x | "ii°6"x | "V"x | "i"x |] [V:S] !blue!c | c | d | !red!!r>(!=B | !blue!!r>)!c |] [V:A] G | !blue!A | A | !blue!G | G |] [V:T] E | E | !blue!F | D/!orange!!o>(!F/ | !o>)!E |] [V:B] !blue!C | !blue!A, | !blue!F, | !blue!G, | !blue!C, |]

Let's insert N6 chord, before V:

['P1','m','i','T'],['m6','','VI','SD'],['M2/m3','°','II°|6','SD'],['m2/M3','','N|6','SD'],['P5','7','V7','D'],['P1','m','i','T']
Q:1/1=40 %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Cm"x | "Ab"x | "D°/F"x | "Db/F"x | "G7"x | "Cm"x |] [V:D] "i"x | "VI"x | "ii°6"x | "N6"x | "V"x | "i"x |] [V:S] !blue!c | c | d | _d | !red!!r>(!=B | !blue!!r>)!c |] [V:A] G | !blue!A | A | A | !blue!G | G |] [V:T] E | E | !blue!F | !blue!F | D/!orange!!o>(!F/ | !o>)!E |] [V:B] !blue!C | !blue!A, | !blue!F, | !blue!F, | !blue!G, | !blue!C, |]

Usually N6 chord resolves down.

Let's add the secondary dominant of N as V7/N:

['P1','m','i','T'],['m6','','VI','SD'],['M2/m3','°','II°|6','SD'],['m6/m7','7','V7/N','D2'],['m2/M3','','N|6','SD'],['P5','7','V7','D'],['P1','m','i','T']
Q:1/1=40 %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Cm"x | "Ab"x | "D°/F"x | "Ab/Gb"x | "Db/F"x | "G7"x | "Cm"x |] [V:D] "i"x | "VI"x | "ii°6"x | "V7/N"x | "N6"x | "V"x | "i"x |] [V:S] !blue!c | c | d | c | _d | !red!!r>(!=B | !blue!!r>)!c |] [V:A] G | !blue!A | A | A | A | !blue!G | G |] [V:T] E | E | !blue!F | E | !blue!F | D/!orange!!o>(!F/ | !o>)!E |] [V:B] !blue!C | !blue!A, | !blue!F, | _G, | !blue!F, | !blue!G, | !blue!C, |]

Let's add the secondary seventh of V as vii°7/V:

['P1','m','i','T'],['m6','','VI','SD'],['M2/m3','°','II°|6','SD'],['m6/m7','7','V7/N','D2'],['m2/M3','','N|6','SD'],['A4','°7','vii°7/V','D2'],['P5','7','V7','D'],['P1','m','i','T']
Q:1/1=40 %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Cm"x | "Ab"x | "D°/F"x | "Ab/Gb"x | "Db/F"x | "F#°7"x | "G7"x | "Cm"x |] [V:D] "i"x | "VI"x | "ii°6"x | "V7/N"x | "N6"x | "vii°7/V"x | "V"x | "i"x |] [V:S] !blue!c | c | d | c | _d | c | !red!!r>(!=B | !blue!!r>)!c |] [V:A] G | !blue!A | A | A | A | =A | !blue!G | G |] [V:T] E | E | !blue!F | E | !blue!F | E | D/!orange!!o>(!F/ | !o>)!E |] [V:B] !blue!C | !blue!A, | !blue!F, | _G, | !blue!F, | ^F, | !blue!G, | !blue!C, |]

Modulation using borrowed and neapolitan chords

['P1','m','i','T'],['P4','m','iv','SD'],['P5','7','V7','D'],['P1','m','i','T'],['m2/M3','','N|6','SD']
Q:1/1=40 %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Cm"x | "Fm"x | "G7"x | "Cm"x | "Db/F"x |] [V:D] "i"x | "iv"x | "V"x | "i"x | "N6"x |] [V:S] !blue!c | c | !red!!r>(!=B | !blue!!r>)!c | !blue!_d |] [V:A] G | A | !blue!G | G | A |] [V:T] E | !blue!F | D/!orange!!o>(!F/ | !o>)!E | !blue!_D |] [V:B] !blue!C | !blue!F, | !blue!G, | !blue!C | F, |]

['m2/M3','','V|6','D'],['D5','','I','T'],['m6/m3','m','ii|6','SD'],['D5/P5','','i|64','d'],['m2','','V','D'],['D5','','I','T']
Q:1/1=40k %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Db/F"x | "Gb"x | "Abm/Cb"x | "Gb/Db"x/ "Db7"x/ | "Gb"x |] [V:D] "N6"x | "I"x | "ii6"x | "I64"x/ "V"x/ | "I"x |] [V:S] !blue!_d | _d | e | !blue!_d | _d |] [V:A] A | B | !blue!_c | B/ A/ | B |] [V:T] !blue!_D | !blue!_G | A | _G/ F/ | !blue!_G |] [V:B] F, | !blue!_G, | !blue!_C | !blue!_D | !blue!_G, |]

All together

['P1','m','i','T'],['P4','m','iv','SD'],['P5','7','V7','D'],['P1','m','i','T'], ['m2/M3','','N|6','SD'], ['D5','','I','T'],['m6/m3','m','ii|6','SD'],['D5/P5','','i|64','d'],['m2','','V','D'],['D5','','I','T']
Q:1/1=40 %%piano2+2CD K:Cm [V:C] "Cm"x | "Fm"x | "G7"x | "Cm"x | "Db/F"x | "Gb"x | "Abm/Cb"x | "Gb/Db"x/ "Db7"x/ | "Gb"x |] [V:D] "i"x | "iv"x | "V"x | "i"x | "N6"x | "I"x | "ii6"x | "I64"x/ "V"x/ | "I"x |] [V:S] !blue!c | c | !red!!r>(!=B | !blue!!r>)!c | !blue!_d | _d | e | !blue!_d | _d |] [V:A] G | A | !blue!G | G | A | B | !blue!_c | B/ A/ | B |] [V:T] E | !blue!F | D/!orange!!o>(!F/ | !o>)!E | !blue!_D | !blue!_G | A | _G/ F/ | !blue!_G |] [V:B] !blue!C | !blue!F, | !blue!G, | !blue!C | F, | !blue!_G, | !blue!_C | !blue!_D | !blue!_G, |]
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