neapolitan chord

Especially in its most common occurrence (as a triad in first inversion), the chord is known as the Neapolitan sixth:

• The chord is called "Neapolitan" because it is associated with the Neapolitan School, which included Alessandro Scarlatti, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Giovanni Paisiello, Domenico Cimarosa, and other important 18th-century composers of Italian opera. But it seems already to have been an established, if infrequent, harmonic practice by the end of the 17th century, used by Giacomo Carissimi, Arcangelo Corelli, and Henry Purcell.{{Cite Grove |title=Neapolitan sixth chord |first=William |last=Drabkin |date=2001 |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.19658}}
• It is called a "sixth" because the interval between the bass note and the root of the chord is a minor sixth. For example, in the key of C major or C minor the chord consists of D{{music|flat}} (the root note), F (the third of the triad), and A{{music|flat}} (the fifth of the triad) – with the F in the bass, to make it a {{music|flat}}II⁶ rather than a root-position {{music|flat}}II. The interval of a minor sixth is between F and D{{music|flat}}.

In tonal harmony, the function of the Neapolitan chord is to prepare the dominant, substituting for the IV or ii (particularly ii⁶) chord. For example, it often precedes an authentic cadence, where it functions as a type of subdominant (IV). In such circumstances, the Neapolitan sixth is a chromatic alteration of the subdominant, and it has an immediately recognizable and poignant sound.

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For example, in B major, the IV (subdominant) triad in root position contains the notes E, G{{music|sharp}}, and B. By lowering the G{{music|sharp}} by a semitone to G and raising the B to C, the Neapolitan sixth chord E–G–C is formed.

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In B minor, the resemblance between the subdominant (E-G-B) and the Neapolitan (E-G-C) is even stronger since only one note differs by a half-step. (The Neapolitan is also only a half-step away from the diminished supertonic triad in minor in first inversion, E-G-C{{music|sharp}}, and thus lies chromatically between the two primary subdominant function chords.)

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The Neapolitan sixth chord is particularly common in minor keys. As a simple alteration of the subdominant triad (iv) of the minor mode, it provides contrast as a major chord compared to the minor subdominant or the diminished supertonic triad.

A common use of the Neapolitan chord is in tonicizations and modulations to different keys. It is the most common means of modulating down a semitone, which is usually done by using the I chord in a major key as a Neapolitan chord (or a flattened major supertonic chord in the new key, a semitone below the original).

Occasionally, a minor seventh or augmented sixth is added to the Neapolitan chord,{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} which turns it into a potential secondary dominant that can allow tonicization or modulation to the {{music|flat}}V/{{music|#}}IV key area relative to the primary tonic. Whether the added note were notated as a minor seventh or augmented sixth largely depends on how the chord resolves. For example, in B major or B minor, the Neapolitan chord with an augmented sixth (A{{music|sharp}} added to C major chord) very likely resolves in B major or minor, or possibly into some other closely related key such as F{{music|sharp}} major.

However, if the extra note is considered an added seventh (B{{music|flat}}), this is the best notation if the music is to lead into F major or minor.

Another such use of the Neapolitan is along with the German augmented sixth chord, which can serve as a pivot chord to tonicize the Neapolitan as a tonic ({{audio|German sixth Neapolitan V7 I.mid|Play}}). In C major/minor, the German augmented sixth chord is an enharmonic A{{music|flat}}⁷ chord, which could lead as a secondary dominant to D{{music|flat}}, the Neapolitan key area. As the dominant to {{music|flat}}II, the A{{music|flat}}⁷ chord can then be respelled as a German augmented sixth, resolving back to the home key of C major/minor.

Sometimes one encounters a minor triad on the Neapolitan second degree rather than the major: for example, a D{{music|b}} minor chord in the key of C major or C minor. Sometimes this is enharmonically respelled as occurring on the sharpened tonic, i.e. a C{{music|#}} minor chord in C major or C minor. This has the same function as the major Neapolitan but is considered more expressive.{{cite web |url=http://bw.musique.umontreal.ca/nm/lexique.htm#plusquenap |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622152407/http://bw.musique.umontreal.ca/nm/lexique.htm |archive-date=2008-06-22 |title=L'oeil qui entend, l'oreille qui voit - un modèle d'analyse harmonique tonale}}

Because of its close relationship to the subdominant, the Neapolitan sixth resolves to the dominant using similar voice-leading. In the present example of a C major/minor tonic, the D{{music|flat}} generally moves down by two steps to the leading tone B{{music|natural}} (creating the expressive melodic interval of a diminished third, one of the few places this interval is accepted in traditional voice-leading), while the F in the bass moves up by step to the dominant root G. The fifth of the chord (A{{music|flat}}) usually resolves down a semitone to G as well. In four-part harmony, the bass note F is generally doubled, and this doubled F either resolves down to D or remains as the seventh F of the G-major dominant seventh chord. In summary, the conventional resolution is for all upper voices to move down against a rising bass.

Care must be taken to avoid consecutive fifths when moving from the Neapolitan to the Cadential six-four. The simplest solution is to avoid placing the fifth of the chord in the soprano voice. If the root or (doubled) third is in the soprano voice, all upper parts simply resolve down by step while the bass rises. According to some theorists, however, such an unusual consecutive fifth (with both parts descending a semitone) is allowable in chromatic harmony, so long as it does not involve the bass voice. (The same allowance is often made more explicitly for the German augmented sixth, except in that case it may involve the bass – or must, if the chord is in its usual root position.)

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The {{music|b}}II chord is sometimes used in root position (in which case there may be even more concessions regarding consecutive fifths, similar to those just discussed). The use of a root position Neapolitan chord may be appealing to composers who wish for the chord to resolve outwards to the dominant in first inversion; the flattened supertonic moves to the leading tone (in C major, D{{music|b}} to B) and the flattened submediant may move down to the dominant or up to the leading tone (A{{music|b}} to either G or B).

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In very rare cases, the chord occurs in second inversion; for example, in Handel's Messiah, in the aria "Rejoice greatly". This occurs in measure 61, where the Bb in the bass with an E♭ major chord above it is a second-inversion Neapolitan chord within the D-minor key of the aria's B section.{{Citation | last = Christ | first = William | year = 1973 | title = Materials and Structure of Music | edition = 2nd | volume = 2 | place = Englewood Cliffs, NJ | publisher = Prentice Hall | isbn = 0-13-560342-0 | oclc = 257117 | pages = 146–7 }} {{LCC|MT6 M347 1972}}

From the early 17th century onwards, composers became aware of the expressive power of the Neapolitan chord, especially to convey moments of intense feeling.

In his oratorio Jephte, Giacomo Carissimi portrays the grief-stricken tears ("lachrimate") of Jephtha’s daughter and her companions at the prospect of her brutal fate. According to Richard Taruskin, "The daughter's lament... makes especially affective use of the ‘Phrygian’ lowered second degree at cadences, producing what would later be called the Neapolitan (or ‘Neapolitan sixth) harmony."Taruskin, Richard. (2010, p.74) The Oxford History of Western Music: Music in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Oxford University Press. (B{{music|b}} in the key of A minor).thumbFile:Carissimi from Jephtha.png's Jephte|alt=]]

In his opera King Arthur, Henry Purcell features the chord (D{{music|b}} in the key of C minor) among a range of "daring chromatic harmonies"Holman, P. (1994, p.205), Henry Purcell, Oxford University Press. and "strange sliding semitones"Westrup, J. (1937, p.134) Purcell, Oxford University Press to evoke the sensation of intense cold in Act 3 Scene 2, when the spirit of Winter, the awe-inspiring "Cold Genius" is aroused from its slumbers. thumbFile:Purcell "What power art thou?", orchestral introduction to the aria from King Arthur Act 3.png's King Arthur|alt=]]

In contrast to Purcell, the opening movement of "Summer" from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, "a four-note descent transformed by Neapolitan-sixth harmony"Everett, P. (1996, p.83) Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and other Concertos. Cambridge University Press. enhances the sensation of weariness and languor under the hot sun (A{{music|b}} in the key of G minor). As the sonnet accompanying the music puts it:

{{blockquote|Sotto dura Staggion dal Sole accesa

Langue l' huom, langue 'l gregge, ed arde il Pino;

(Under a hard season, fired up by the sun

Languishes man, languishes the flock and burns the pine.)}}

thumbFile:Vivaldi Summer, 1st movement, bars 26-30.png's The Four Seasons, mm. 26–30|alt=]]

Paul Everett describes the above passage as "a set of disarmingly 'slow' gestures, metrically dislocated, that must represent the lethargy of the anxious man as much as the oppressive heat of an airless day."

In J.S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion, No. 19, the episode conveying Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, the Neapolitan chord (G{{music|b}} in the key of F minor) is used on the word "Plagen" (torments) in the chorale harmonization sung by the chorus:thumbFile:Bach, St Matthew Passion 19.png's St Matthew Passion, No. 19|alt=]]

According to John Eliot Gardiner, "The answering soft-voiced chorus... imbues [the music] with a mysterious quality, almost as though a muted drama is taking place at a distance from the main action – Christ's ‘Agony in the Garden’ and his acceptance of his role as Saviour."Gardiner, John Eliot (2013, p.414) Music in the Castle of Heaven, a Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach. London, Allen Lane.

The Neapolitan chord was a favourite idiom among composers in the Classical period. In his Piano Sonata in C minor, "a masterpiece of tragic power,"Hughes, R. (1962, p.140) Haydn. London, Dent. Haydn uses the chord (D{{music|b}} in the key of C minor) as he brings the opening statement of his first subject to a close: thumbFile:Haydn Piano Sonata in C minor, first movement, bars 5-9.png's Piano Sonata in C minor, mm. 5–8|alt=]]Haydn makes more extended use of this chord in the finale of the sonata to powerful and dramatic effect:File:Haydn from C minor Sonata finale 01.wavFile:Haydn from C minor Sonata finale 02.png

Ludwig van Beethoven used the Neapolitan chord frequently in some of his best-known works, including the opening of his Moonlight Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2:thumbFile:Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 27 No. 2, first movement opening bars.png's Moonlight Sonata, Op 27 No. 2, first movement, opening bars|alt=]]

Wilfrid Mellers sees the apparent tranquillity of these bars as "deceptive, since in bar 3 the bass's F sharp is harmonized not as a subdominant but, with the quaver triplet's D flattened as a first inversion of the Neapolitan chord of D major. The implied progression from D natural to the cadential B sharp delivers a small stab to the nervous system."Mellers, W. (1983, p.77) Beethoven and the Voice of God. London, Faber.

Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57 uses the Neapolitan chord on a broader harmonic canvas. Both the first and last movements of the sonata open with a phrase repeated a semitone higher (G{{music|b}} in the key of F minor).Mellers, Wilfrid. (1983, p.102) Beethoven and the Voice of God. London, Faber.thumbFile:Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 57, third movement bars 20-27.png's Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57, third movement, mm. 20–27|alt=]]

Other examples of Beethoven's use of the chord occur in the opening bars of String Quartet op. 59 No.2, String Quartet op. 95, and the third movement of the Hammerklavier Sonata.Drabkin, William. "Neapolitan sixth chord". In Deane L. Root. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 June 2007. (subscription required)

A powerful example from Schubert comes in his single movement Quartett-Satz (1820). The opening "has a dramatic intensity... which is all the more powerful because it begins quietly."Westrup, J. (1969, p.19) Schubert Chamber Music. London, BBC The passage culminates in a Neapolitan chord (D{{music|b}} in the key of C minor):thumbFile:Schubert Quartett-Satz in C minor, opening bars 02.png's Quartett-Satz in C minor, opening bars|alt=]] According to Roger Scruton, "It is as though a spirit had arisen out of the turbulent clouds and suddenly burst forth into the light – the clouds formed from the key of C minor, the spirit itself, released at last, being in the negation of C minor, namely D flat major."Scruton, R. (2018, p.131) Music as an Art. London, Bloomsbury Continuum Scruton sees the "semitone conflict" that recurs in different keys as the movement progresses as a unifying feature that has "penetrated the whole structure of the piece."Scruton, R. (2018, p.133) Music as an Art. London, Bloomsbury Continuum

In the fourth scene of Richard Wagner’s opera Das Rheingold, the earth Goddess Erda prophesies the impending doom of the Gods. Wagner's orchestration here juxtaposes two significant dramatic leitmotifs, the one ascending to represent Erda and the other, "a descending variant of Erda's motive played over a chord of the Neapolitan sixth"Von Westernhagen, C. (1976, p.56) The Forging of the "Ring". Cambridge University Press. with the intention of conveying their ultimate downfallDonington, R. (1963, p.278) Wagner's Ring and its Symbols. London, Faber. to ominous and chilling effect. (D in the key of C{{music|sharp}} minor):thumbFile:Wagner, Rheingold, Scene 4.png's Das Rheingold, Scene 4|alt=]]

In rock and pop music, {{music|b}}II chords often occur in root position and with non-classical voice-leading. Examples include:

• Alexander Rybak's and Paula Seling's "I'll Show You"Blatter, Alfred (2012). Revisiting Music Theory: A Guide to the Practice
• Badfinger's "Come and Get It"
• The Beatles' "Do You Want to Know a Secret"{{cite book|author=Walter Everett|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMtPFz5GB1kC&q=beatles+do+you+want+to+know+a+secret+neapolitan&pg=RA1-PA310|title=The Beatles as Musicians:Revolver Through the Anthology|year = 1999|location=Oxford and New York|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=310|isbn = 9780195129410|access-date=22 March 2015}}
• The Beatles' "Because"Mellers, W. (1973, p.117) Twilight of the Gods: the Beatles in Retrospect London, Faber.
• Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" (later adapted into English as "If You Go Away" and covered by various artists)Rod McKuen, letter to Bassey reproduced in CD liner notes, BGO CD693
• Livin' Joy's "Don't Stop Movin'"{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= 19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5}}
• Robin Thicke's "Fall Again"{{Cite book | last1 = Halstead | first1 = Craig | last2= Cadman | first2= Chris | title = Michael Jackson: For The Record | url = https://archive.org/details/michaeljacksonfo00cadm | url-access = limited | publisher = Authors OnLine Ltd. | location = Bedfordshire | year = 2007 | page = [https://archive.org/details/michaeljacksonfo00cadm/page/n114 107] | isbn = 978-0-7552-0267-6 }}
• The Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper"Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p.90. {{ISBN|978-0-300-09239-4}}.
• Joanna Newsom's "Colleen" on the line "surf a-pounding" and other places
• In Brazilian popular music as in Noel Rosa's Último desejo and in several Chico Buarque's songs{{cite book|url=http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rieb/n59/0020-3874-rieb-59-00015.pdf|language=pt|title=Memórias e histórias do acorde napolitano e de suas funções em certas canções da música popular no Brasil|trans-title=Memories and stories of the neapolitan chord and its functions in songs of popular music in Brazil|publisher=Scientific Electronic Library Online|last=Freitas|first=Sérgio Paulo Ribeiro de|pages=41, 45–49 of 55|date= December 2014|access-date=26 April 2016}}

• Neapolitan scale
• Augmented sixth chord
• Sixth chord
• Subtonic
• Tritone substitution

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Benward |first1=Bruce

|last2=Saker |first2=Marilyn

|year=2009

|title=Music in Theory and Practice

|volume=II

|edition=Eight

|location=New York

|publisher=McGraw-Hill

|isbn=978-0-07-310188-0

}}

{{refend}}

{{Chords}}

{{Chromaticism}}

{{Commons category|Neapolitan sixth chords}}

Category:Chords

Category:Chromaticism