Augmented sixth

chord

0:08 / 0:08

A German sixth chord on the last beat of m. 96 in

Scott Joplin's "Binks' Waltz" (1905).[1]
In music theory, an augmented sixth chord
contains the interval of an augmented
sixth, usually above its bass tone. This
chord has its origins in the Renaissance,[2]
was further developed in the Baroque, and
became a distinctive part of the musical
style of the Classical and Romantic
periods.[3]

Conventionally used with a predominant

function (resolving to the dominant), the
three more common types of augmented
sixth chords are usually called the Italian
sixth, the French sixth, and the German
sixth.
Augmented sixth interval

The interval of the augmented sixth normally resolves

outwards by semitone to an octave.

The augmented sixth interval is typically

between the sixth degree of the minor
scale, ♭ , and the raised fourth degree, ♯ .
With standard voice leading, the chord is
followed directly or indirectly by some
form of the dominant chord, in which both
♭ and ♯ have resolved to the fifth scale
degree, . This tendency to resolve
outwards to is why the interval is spelled
as an augmented sixth, rather than
enharmonically as a minor seventh (♭ and
♭ ).

Although augmented sixth chords are

more common in the minor mode, they are
also used in the major mode by borrowing
♭ of the parallel minor scale.[4]

Types
There are three main types of augmented
sixth chords, commonly known as the
Italian sixth, the French sixth, and the
German sixth.
Though each is named after a European
nationality, theorists disagree on their
precise origins and have struggled for
centuries to define their roots, and fit them
into conventional harmonic theory.[4][5][6]
According to Kostka and Payne, the other
two terms are similar to the Italian sixth,
which, "has no historical authenticity-
[being] simply a convenient and traditional
label."[7]

Italian sixth
The second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata in
F♯ major, Op. 78, begins with an Italian sixth chord.

The Italian sixth (It+6 or It6 or ♯iv6) is

derived from iv6 with an altered fourth
scale degree, ♯ . This is the only
augmented sixth chord comprising just
three distinct notes; in four-part writing,
the tonic pitch is doubled.
The Italian sixth is enharmonically
equivalent to an incomplete dominant
seventh.[8]

French sixth
4
The French sixth (Fr+6 or Fr3) is similar to
the Italian, but with an additional tone, .
The notes of the French sixth chord are all
contained within the same whole tone
scale, lending a sonority common to
French music in the 19th century
(especially associated with Impressionist
music).[9]

This chord has the same notes as a

dominant seventh flat five chord and is in
fact the second inversion of II7♭5.

German sixth
6
The German sixth (Ger+6 or Ger5) is also
like the Italian, but with an added tone, ♭ .
In Classical music, however, it appears in
much the same places as the other
variants, though perhaps less often
because of the contrapuntal difficulties
outlined below. It appears frequently in the
works of Beethoven,[a] and in ragtime
music.[1] The German sixth chord is
enharmonically equivalent to a dominant
seventh chord though it functions
differently.

Avoiding parallel fifths

It is more difficult to avoid parallel fifths
when resolving a German sixth chord to
the dominant chord. These parallel fifths,
referred to as Mozart fifths, were
occasionally accepted by common
practice composers. There are two ways
they can be avoided:

1. The ♭ can move to either or , thereby

generating an Italian or French sixth,
respectively, and eliminating the perfect
fifth between ♭6 and ♭ .[10]
 6
2. The chord can resolve to a chord,
4
6
functionally either as a cadential 4
intensification of V, or as the second
6
inversion of I. The cadential 4, in turn,
resolves to a root-position V. This
progression ensures that, in its voice
leading, each pair of voices moves either
by oblique motion or contrary motion and
avoids parallel motion altogether. In minor
modes, both and ♭ do not move during
the resolution of the German sixth to the
6
cadential 4.
In major modes, ♭3 can be enharmonically
respelled as ♯ if it resolves upwards to ♮ ,
similar in voice leading to the resolution of
French sixth to the cadential six-four.

Other types

Other variants of augmented sixth chords

can be found in the repertoire, and are
sometimes given whimsical geographical
names. For example: 4–♭6–7–♯2; (F–A♭–
B–D♯) is called by one source an
Australian sixth.[11] Such anomalies usually
have alternative interpretations.

Function
Standard function

From the Baroque to the Romantic periods,

augmented sixth chords had the same
harmonic function: as a chromatically
altered predominant chord (typically, an
4 6
alteration of ii3, IV5, vi7 or their parallel
equivalents in the minor mode) leading to
a dominant chord. This movement to the
dominant is heightened by the semitonal
resolution to from above and below (from
♭ and ♯ );[12] essentially, these two notes
act as leading-tones.

This characteristic has led many

analysts[13] to compare the voice leading
of augmented sixth chords to the
secondary dominant V of V because of the
presence of ♯ , the leading-tone of V, in
both chords. In the major mode, the
chromatic voice leading is more
pronounced because of the presence of
two chromatically altered notes, ♭ and ♯ ,
rather than just ♯ .

In most occasions, the augmented-sixth

chords precede either the dominant, or the
tonic in second inversion.[8] The
augmented sixths can be treated as
chromatically altered passing chords.[8]

Other functions

Augmented sixths as dominants in C major, according

to Tchaikovsky. Notice the early resolution of an inner
voice to avoid parallel fifths in the last example.[14]

In the late Romantic period and other

musical traditions, especially jazz, other
harmonic possibilities of augmented sixth
variants and sonorities outside its function
as a predominant were explored, exploiting
their particular properties. An example of
this is through the "reinterpretation" of the
harmonic function of a chord: since a
chord could simultaneously have more
than one enharmonic spelling with
different functions (i.e., both predominant
as a German sixth and dominant as a
dominant seventh), its function could be
reinterpreted mid-phrase. This heightens
both chromaticism by making possible the
tonicization of remotely related keys, and
possible dissonances with the
juxtaposition of remotely related keys.
Tchaikovsky considered the augmented
sixth chords to be altered dominant
chords.[15] He described the augmented
sixth chords to be inversions of the
diminished triad and of dominant and
diminished seventh chords with a lowered
second degree (♭ ), and accordingly
resolving into the tonic. He notes that,
"some theorists insist upon [augmented
sixth chord's] resolution not into the tonic
but into the dominant triad, and regard
them as being erected not on the altered
2nd degree, but on the altered 6th degree
in major and on the natural 6th degree in
minor", yet calls this view, "fallacious",
insisting that a, "chord of the augmented
sixth on the 6th degree is nothing else
than a modulatory degression into the key
of the dominant".[14]

The example below shows the last nine

measures from Schubert's Piano Sonata in
A major, D. 959. In m. 352, an Italian sixth
chord built on scale degree ♭ functions as
a substitute for the dominant.
Inversions
Augmented sixth chords are occasionally
used with a different chord member in the
bass. Since there is no consensus among
theorists that they are in root position in
their normal form, the word "inversion" isn't
necessarily accurate, but is found in some
textbooks, nonetheless. Sometimes,
"inverted" augmented sixth chords occur
as a product of voice leading.

Rousseau considered that the chord could

not be inverted.[16] Seventeenth century
instances of the augmented sixth with the
sharp note in the bass are generally limited
to German sources.[17]
The excerpt below is from J.S. Bach's
Mass in B minor. At the end of the second
measure, the augmented sixth is inverted
to create a diminished third or tenth
between the bass and the soprano (C♯–
E♭); these two voices resolve inward to an
octave.
Related chords
In music theory, the double-diminished
triad is an archaic concept and term
referring to a triad, or three note chord,
which, already being minor, has its root
raised a semitone, making it "doubly
diminished". However, this may be used as
the derivation of the augmented sixth
chord.[18] For example, F–A♭–C is a minor
triad, so F♯–A♭–C is a doubly diminished
triad. This is enharmonically equivalent to
G♭–A♭–C, an incomplete dominant seventh
A♭ 7, missing its fifth), which is a tritone
substitute that resolves to G. Its inversion,
A♭–C–F♯, is the Italian sixth chord that
resolves to G.

Classical harmonic theory would notate

the tritone substitute as an augmented
sixth chord on ♭2. The augmented sixth
chord can either be (i) an It+6
enharmonically equivalent to a dominant
seventh chord (with a missing fifth); (ii) a
Ger+6 equivalent to a dominant seventh
chord with (with a fifth); or (iii) a Fr+6
equivalent to the Lydian dominant (with a
missing fifth), all of which serve in a
classical context as a substitute for the
secondary dominant of V.[19][20]
All variants of augmented sixth chords are
closely related to the applied dominant V7
of ♭II. Both Italian and German variants are
enharmonically identical to dominant
seventh chords. For example, in the key of
C, the German sixth chord could be
reinterpreted as the applied dominant of
D♭.
Simon Sechter explains the chord of the
French sixth chord as being a
chromatically altered version of a seventh
chord on the second degree of the scale, .
The German sixth is explained as a
chromatically altered ninth chord on the
same root but with the root omitted.[21]

The tendency of the interval of the

augmented sixth to resolve outwards is
therefore explained by the fact that the A♭,
being a dissonant note, a diminished fifth
above the root (D), and flatted, must fall,
whilst the F♯ – being chromatically raised
– must rise.

Relationship between the

different types
The following "curious chromatic
sequence",[22] graphed by Dmitri Tymoczko
as a four-dimensional tesseract,[23]
outlines the relationships between the
augmented sixth chords in 12TET tuning:
A tesseract. The diminished seventh chords occupy
points on two diagonally opposite corners.

Starting with a diminished seventh

chord, lower any factor by a semitone.
The result is equivalently to a German
sixth chord.
From the German sixth chord, lower any
factor by a semitone so that the result is
ancohemitonic (i.e.: possesses no half
steps). The result is a French sixth chord
or minor seventh chord possibly posing
as a virtual augmented sixth.
From the French sixth chord (or minor
seventh chord posing as augmented
sixth), there exists a factor which, when
lowered by semitone, gives a result
equivalent to a half-diminished seventh
chord possibly posing as a virtual
augmented sixth.
From the half-diminished seventh chord
as augmented sixth, there exists a factor
which, when lowered by a semitone, is
equivalent to a diminished seventh
chord at the interval on semitone lower
than the diminished seventh chord
which started the sequence.
Three repetitions of the above complete
the cycle in modulo-12 note space,
forming a necklace of three tesseracts
joined at opposite corners by diminished
 seventh chords and subsuming all 12
notes of the chromatic scale.

Minor seventh as virtual

augmented sixth chord

The minor seventh chord may also have its

interval of minor seventh (between the
root and seventh degree (i.e.: C–B♭ in C–
E♭–G–B♭) rewritten as an augmented sixth
(C–E♭–G–A♯).[24] Rearranging and
transposing, this gives A♭–C♭–E♭–F♯, a
virtual minor version of the German sixth
chord.[25] Again like the typical +6, this
enharmonic interpretation gives a
resolution irregular for the minor seventh
but normal for the augmented sixth, where
the two voices at the enharmonic major
second converge to a unison or diverge to
an octave.[26]

Half-diminished seventh as
virtual augmented sixth chord

The half-diminished seventh chord is the

inversion of the German sixth chord.[27] Its
interval of minor seventh (between root
and seventh degree (i.e.: C–B♭ in C–E♭–
G♭–B♭) can be written as an augmented
sixth (C–E♭–G♭–A♯).[24] Rearranging and
transposing, this gives A♭–C♭–D–F♯, a
virtual minor version of the French sixth
chord.[28] Like the typical +6, this
enharmonic interpretation gives a
resolution irregular for the half-diminished
seventh but normal for the augmented
sixth, where the two voices at the
enharmonic major second converge to a
unison or diverge to an octave.[26]

Tristan chord
Richard Wagner's Tristan chord, the first
vertical sonority in his opera, Tristan und
Isolde, can be interpreted as a half-
diminished seventh that transitions to a
French sixth in the key of A minor (F–A–
B–D♯, in red below). The upper voice
continues upward with a long
appoggiatura (G♯ to A). Note that the D♯
resolves down to D♮ instead of up to E:[29]

See also
Acoustic scale

Notes
a. Notable examples include the themes of
the slow movements (both in variation
form) of the opp. 57 ("Appassionata") and
109 piano sonatas.
References
1. Benward, Bruce and Saker, Marilyn
(2009). Music in Theory and Practice, Vol.
II, p.105. Eighth edition. McGraw Hill.
ISBN 9780073101880.
2. Andrews, Herbert Kennedy (1950). The
Oxford Harmony. 2 (1st ed.). London:
Oxford University Press. pp. 45–46.
OCLC 223256512 .
3. Andrews 1950, pp. 46–52
4. Aldwell, Edward; Schachter, Carl (1989).
Harmony and Voice Leading (2 ed.). San
Diego, Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
pp. 478–483. ISBN 0-15-531519-6.
OCLC 19029983 .
5. Gauldin, Robert (1997). Harmonic
Practice in Tonal Music (1 ed.). New York:
W.W. Norton. pp. 422–438. ISBN 0-393-
97074-4. OCLC 34966355 .
6. Christ, William (1973). Materials and
Structure of Music. 2 (2 ed.). Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp. 141–171.
ISBN 0-13-560342-0. OCLC 257117 . Offers
a detailed explanation of augmented sixth
chords as well as Neapolitan sixth chords.
7. Kostka & Payne (1995), p.385.
8. Rimsky, p. 121.
9. Blatter, Alfred (2007). Revisiting Music
Theory: a Guide to the Practice, p.144.
ISBN 978-0-415-97440-0. "One may note
that the French sixth contains the elements
of a whole tone scale commonly
associated with French impressionistic
composers."
10. Benjamin, Thomas; Horvit, Michael;
Nelson, Robert (2008). Techniques and
Materials of Music: From the Common
Practice Period Through the Twentieth
Century (seventh ed.). Belmont, CA:
Thomson Schirmer. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-
495-18977-0. OCLC 145143714 .
Beethoven frequently moves from one form
of the chord to another in such a way,
sometimes passing through all three.
11. Burnard, Alex (1950). Harmony and
Composition: For the Student and the
Potential Composer. Melbourne: Allans
Music (Australia). pp. 94–95.
OCLC 220305086 .
12. Kostka, Stefan, and Dorothy Payne
(1995), Tonal Harmony, third edition (New
York: McGraw Hill): p.384.
ISBN 0070358745.
13. Piston, Walter; Mark DeVoto (1987).
Harmony (5 ed.). New York: W. W. Norton &
Company, Inc. p. 419. ISBN 0-393-95480-3.
14. Tschaikovsky, Peter (1900). "XXVII". In
Translated from the German version by
Emil Krall and James Liebling. Guide to the
Practica Study of Harmony (English
translation ed.). Leipzig: P. Jurgenson.
pp. 106, 108.
15. Roberts, Peter Deane (1993).
Modernism in Russian Piano Music:
Skriabin, Prokofiev, and Their Russian
Contemporaries, p.136. ISBN 0-253-34992-
3.
16. Rousseau, Jean Jaques. Dictionnaire de
Musique.
17. Ellis, Mark (2010). A Chord in Time: The
Evolution of the Augmented Sixth from
Monteverdi to Mahler, pp. 92–94. Farnham:
Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-6385-0.
18. Ernst Friedrich Richter (1912). Manual
of Harmony, p.94. Theodore Baker.
19. Satyendra, Ramon. "Analyzing the Unity
within Contrast: Chick Corea's Starlight",
p.55. Cited in Stein.
20. Stein, Deborah (2005). Engaging Music:
Essays in Music Analysis. New York: Oxford
University Press. ISBN 0-19-517010-5.
21. Sechter, Simon (1853). Die Grundsätze
der musicalischen Komposition (in
German). Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel.
22. Ouseley, Frederick. A. Gore (1868). A
Treatise on Harmony, pg. 138, Oxford,
Clarendon Press.
23. Tymoczko, Dimitri. A Geometry of
Music: Harmony and Counterpoint in the
Extended Common Practice (Oxford and
New York: Oxford University Press, 2011),
pg. 106. ISBN 978-0-19-533667-2.
24. Ouseley, Frederick. A. Gore (1868). A
Treatise on Harmony, pg. 137, Oxford,
Clarendon Press.
25. Ouseley (1868), pg. 143ff.
26. Christ, William (1966). Materials and
Structure of Music, v.2, p. 154. Englewood
Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. LOC 66-14354.
27. Hanson, Howard. (1960) Harmonic
Materials of Modern Music, p.356ff. New
York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. LOC 58-
8138.
28. Chadwick, G. W. (1922). Harmony: A
Course of Study, pg. 138ff, Boston, B. F.
Wood. [ISBN unspecified]
29. Benward, Bruce, and Marilyn Nadine
Saker (2008). Music in Theory and Practice,
vol. 2, p.233. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
ISBN 978-0-07-310188-0.

Books
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (1886).
Practical Treatise on Harmony (13th –
1924 ed.). St. Petersburg: A. Büttner.
 Piston, Walter (1941). Harmony (co-
author Mark DeVoto 5th – 1987 ed.).
New York and London: W. W. Norton &
Company.

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