112 Introduction to the Neapolitan Chord

The Theory of the Neapolitan Chord

• The Neapolitan chord is a major triad whose root is the lowered supertonic. The solfege syllables of the chord are ra, fa, and le.

• However, since it appears in first inversion, we usually describe the solfege of the Neapolitan chord as fa-le-ra.
  • For this reason, the Neapolitan chord is sometimes called the “Neapolitan sixth.”

• Therefore, if you suspect you have heard a Neapolitan chord in a harmonic dictation, listen out for fa in the bass.

• It is acceptable to spell the chord analysis as N⁶ or as ♭II⁶.

• Function: the Neapolitan chord precedes the dominant, often substituting for IV, iv, ii⁶, or ii⁰⁶. It most commonly appears in minor keys, though it is possible for it to appear in major keys also.

In Context – Harmonic Dictation

Example 1

• In example 1, notice fa in the bass, plus the telltale ra in the soprano voice. That’s how we know this isn’t chord iv or ii⁰⁶.

• For voice-leading reasons, it’s quite common for i^6/4 to come between the Neapolitan chord and the dominant. (You’ll recall that i^6/4 has dominant function.) In example 2, adding i^6/4 between the Neapolitan chord and V⁷ means the soprano doesn’t have to sing ra-ti, which many singers find awkward.

Example 2

In Context – Singing

• Practice singing the following exercises in a variety of key signatures until you feel comfortable building a Neapolitan chord from any given tonic.

• You may be asked in a sight singing exam to sing Neapolitan chord, so take steps to become adept at this now. You will be given a tonic triad, then asked to find fa-le-ra.

• Learning to sing the Neapolitan chord isn’t necessarily intuitive, but as with all sight singing concepts, a step-by-step learning process will help you audiate the notes you need to sing while remembering the key center where you’ve just been. The three-step method below helps you navigate around the tones of the tonic triad so that you can find stepping-stones to the Neapolitan chord. Practice methods 1 and 2 repeatedly until you can confidently perform method 3.

Finding the Neapolitan Chord: Method 1

Finding the Neapolitan Chord: Method 2

Finding the Neapolitan Chord: Method 3