G# Neapolitan Major Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
G# Neapolitan Major in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The G# Neapolitan Major scale is a sophisticated and bright variation of the Neapolitan minor. On Guitar, the notes are G#, A, B, C#, D#, F, G. It provides a chromatic, Spanish feel that is often used in classical music to approach the home key with an elegant, unexpected twist. Commonly used in Classical, Opera, Film Scores. Notable players include Chopin, Verdi, Puccini. Use over bII-V-I cadences. The source of the Neapolitan sixth chord, one of classical music's most elegant chromatic devices.
Notes: G#, A, B, C#, D#, F, G
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 7
Formula: H-W-W-W-W-W-H
Number of notes: 7
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
- G# Neapolitan Major in Standard Tuning
- G# Neapolitan Major in Drop D
- G# Neapolitan Major in DADGAD
- G# Neapolitan Major in Open G
- G# Neapolitan Major in Baritone (B Standard)
- G# Neapolitan Major in 7-string
- G# Neapolitan Major in 8-string
- G# Neapolitan Major in Drop C
- G# Neapolitan Major in Open D
- G# Neapolitan Major in Half Step Down
- G# Neapolitan Major in Open E
- G# Neapolitan Major in Open A
- G# Neapolitan Major in Double Drop D
- G# Neapolitan Major in Open C