Neapolitan Sixth Chord (i bII/4 V i)
The Neapolitan sixth is the chord progression i-bII/4-V-i. In the key of C minor it is Cm Db/F G Cm, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1m b2/4 5 1m.
It is also known as Neapolitan chord, N6.
Chords from outside the key of C minor: Db/F, G.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
bII is a major chord on the flattened second degree, played in first inversion so the bass is scale degree 4, the same bass as iv. It acts as a darker subdominant, and the b2 falls through the leading tone to the tonic. The sound is tragic and intense, and it borrows the Phrygian flat second.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonlight Sonata, first movement | Ludwig van Beethoven | bar 3 | C#m D/F# G#7 C#m | C# minor |
Neapolitan Sixth Chord: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Neapolitan in major: C Db G C
- German sixth approach: Ab7 G7 Cm
- Omnibus progression: G7 Bb7/Ab Dm/A Bb7 G7/B C
- Stomp progression: F7 F#dim7 / C7/G C7 / F7 F#dim7 / C7/G C7 / F7 F#dim7 / C7/G A7 / D7 / G7 C7
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Neapolitan sixth in each key?
In C minor: Cm Db/F G Cm. In G minor: Gm Ab/C D Gm. In D minor: Dm Eb/G A Dm. In A minor: Am Bb/D E Am. In E minor: Em F/A B Em.
Which songs use the Neapolitan sixth?
Songs that use it include Moonlight Sonata, first movement by Ludwig van Beethoven.
