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This voice movement from flat 2 to leading tone is odd, since we usually
make chromatic movement in the same voice. Even though the V chord
contains the 2nd scale degree, we do not move the lowered 2nd degree up
to the regular 2nd scale degree; it always moves to the leading tone
instead. This is the most important thing to remember about the voice
leading of this chord, and the first thing to take care of when resolving it.
Once this note is resolved, it will be much more clear where the other
voices should go.
is usually doubled in this chord, which is the third of the triad, since it is both
a primary tone and in major is the only non-chromatic note. Rarely, the root
may be doubled, but this occurs infrequently, typically only when this chord
is being tonicized.
Tonicizing the Neapolitan: Since the N is a major triad, it can be
tonicized. (The V of N happens to be the triad VI in the minor mode.) When
a secondary dominant resolves to a root position N chord, the root of the N
may be doubled this will mean the lowered 2nd scale degree in the bass
will leap a tritone when resolving to V while the other lowered 2nd scale
degree doubled above will move to the leading tone as required, as in the
example below.
major (an F major triad) could become I of the new key, to modulate to F
major, which is a half step modulation, quite a distance away on the circle
of fifths.
[Note: If you compare the distance between the roots of the two chord
functions being used in your pivot chord, this will always indicate the
distance of the modulation. For example, if the pivot is IV in the one key,
and N in the other, the modulation will be a major third, since the distance
between the roots of IV and N are a major third apart. Whether the
modulation goes up a M3 or down a M3 will depend on whether the IV is in
the original key and N in the new, or vice versa. If this way of analyzing
pivot chords is new to you, you may wish to visit the tutorial abouthow to
easily find a pivot chord to modulate to any key.]
Here is one example of a modulation using a N as a pivot. This is a
modulation to a closely related key, from a minor tonic to the minor
dominant (i to v), using the VI in the original key as the pivot, which is N in
the new key.
To verify that you understand the main principles of the Neapolitan chord,
be sure you can answer the following questions:
What scale degrees make up the N chord?
To what chord does the N resolve?
What is the most important voice leading principle when resolving a
Neapolitan chord?
What note is usually doubled in the N chord?
If you have trouble with any of these questions, review the appropriate
section above.