A Neapolitan Mixolydian Guitar Scale

A Neapolitan Mixolydian Scale — Notes and Intervals

The A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale fuses the Mixolydian mode with a flattened second degree, producing an augmented second leap that immediately signals its Eastern European and Turkish roots. On Guitar, it contains the notes A, Bb, C#, D, E, F#, G. Its urgent, lamenting quality drives the emotional arc of Balkan wedding music and Romanian folk traditions. Commonly used in Eastern European Folk, Turkish, Klezmer, Film Scores. Notable players include Bregovic, Ivo Papasov. Use over dominant 7th chords with b9 in Eastern European folk contexts. The augmented 2nd between b2 and 3 supports the Hijaz-family sound over pedal tones and drone-based harmony.

Notes: A, Bb, C#, D, E, F#, G

Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7m

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5 6 b7

Formula: H-WH-H-W-W-H-W

Number of notes: 7

Musical Character

The b2 against a natural 3rd creates an augmented 2nd leap right at the start of the scale, immediately signaling its Eastern European and Turkish origins. The b7 adds a dominant, unresolved quality.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Eastern European Folk, Turkish, Klezmer, Film Scores

Notable players: Bregovic, Ivo Papasov

How to Use the A Neapolitan Mixolydian Scale

Use over dominant 7th chords with b9 in Eastern European folk contexts. The augmented 2nd between b2 and 3 supports the Hijaz-family sound over pedal tones and drone-based harmony.

Origin & Background

A Mixolydian variant with a flattened 2nd degree, producing the augmented 2nd interval characteristic of the Hijaz family of Turkish makam. Widely used in East European folk traditions, particularly in Romanian and Bulgarian wedding music where its tense, lamenting quality drives the emotional arc of celebratory songs.

How to Play A Neapolitan Mixolydian on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 5 on the 6th (low E) to find your A root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is open position using open A string.

The A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale contains both sharps and flats (2 sharps, 1 flat), which is common in altered and exotic scales. Its relative minor is F# minor, which shares the same notes.

Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing

Begin by playing the A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A-C#, Bb-D) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.

Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on A to let the characteristic intervals of the Neapolitan Mixolydian scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in klezmer contexts.

Guitar Tips

Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently. Aim for a exotic quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

• A Mixolydian
• A Phrygian dominant
• A Double harmonic major
• A Neapolitan major

The A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale contains 7 notes (A, Bb, C#, D, E, F#, G). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Neapolitan Mixolydian

The A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore A Neapolitan Mixolydian Further

• Harmonize the A Neapolitan Mixolydian scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian on Ukulele
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian on Bass
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian on Piano

Explore A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Other Tunings

• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• A Neapolitan Mixolydian in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

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