A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic scale is a unique five-note scale that blends the brightness of a major sound with the dark, exotic tension of a flattened second degree. On Guitar, its notes are A, C#, D, Eb, G. It provides a sophisticated, Spanish color that is useful in both classical and fusion music. Commonly used in Classical, Fusion, Flamenco. Notable players include Chick Corea, Al Di Meola. Use over Maj7, bII chords in Neapolitan contexts. Adds classical Spanish color to fusion and world music.
Notes: A, C#, D, Eb, G
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 4P, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 b5
Formula: 4-H-H-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)
About Drop B Tuning
Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.
Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.
Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure
Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Standard Tuning
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Drop D
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in DADGAD
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open G
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in 7-string
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in 8-string
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Drop C
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open D
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Half Step Down
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open E
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open A
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Double Drop D
- A Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open C