F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The F 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 F, A, Bb, B, Eb. 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: F, A, Bb, B, Eb
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 4P, 5d, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 b5
Formula: 4-H-H-4-W
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
Musical Character
Blends major brightness with the dark tension of a b2 — a sophisticated five-note capsule of the Neapolitan system.
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Standard Tuning
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Drop D
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in DADGAD
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open G
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in 7-string
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Drop C
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Drop B
- F Neapolitan Major Pentatonic in Open D