Download FUNDAMENTAL HARMONY Chromatically

Chromatically-Altered Triads
• Any triad can be chromatically altered by raising one of its pitches up
or down by a semitone!
FUNDAMENTAL HARMONY
• Augmented Triad: consists of two major 3rds to make up the triad.
To make a major augmented, simply raise the 5th by a semitone.
G major
Dr. Declan Plummer
Lesson 13: Chromatic Harmony
Augmented 6th Chords and Neapolitan Chords
I
I+
• Diminished Triad: consists of two minor 3rds to make up the triad.
To make a minor triad diminished, simply lower the 5th by a semitone.
G minor
i
Augmented 6th Chords
Diminished 7ths
• A Diminished 7th Chord consists of a minor 3rd, diminished 5th
and a diminished 7th from the bass note (or stacked minor 3rds).
• In minor keys, chords iio and viio are naturally occurring diminished
triads, so it’s easy to make them into diminished 7th chords by
adding a diminished 7th above the bass note.
A$ m3
F
m3
D
B m3
C$ m3
A$
m3
F
D m3
viio7
in the
key of C minor
io
iio$7
(iid7)
in the
key of C minor
• NB. In major keys, chord viio is also a naturally occurring diminished
triad, so it too can be easily made into a diminished 7th chord.
1. It’s a chord that contains the interval
of an augmented 6th, usually above its
bass tone.
Key: C major
2. This interval is usually between the
minor 6th degree of the scale ($6) and
the raised fourth degree (#4).This
creates an augmented 6th interval
(hence the name).
3. Augmented 6th chords tend to
resolve outwards to the 5th degree
of the scale, usually to chord V!
4. So augmented chords can be another
type of pre-dominant chord!
Aug 6th
V
How to create Augmented 6th Chords
Key C Major
German Augmented 6th (in C major)
1. find the minor 6th degree of the tonic: (A$)
Italian Augmented 6th chords
French Augmented 6th chords
•
Don’t have the 5th that German
augmented chords have.
• Don’t have the 5th that German
•
Instead the tonic is doubled (the
E$ is substituted for another C)
• Instead the 5th is substituted for a
•
A$ - C - C - F#
• A$ - C - D - F#
augmented chords have.
4th (the E$ is substituted for a D)
2. build a major triad on top of it:
(A$ - C - E$)
Key:
C Major
3. then add an augmented 6th on top of this
triad (which is also the #4 of the tonic):
(A$ - C - E$ - F#)
4. This is the most common type of
augmented 6th chord.
Key:
C Major
All notes are part of
the whole tone scale
(French impressionism)
Gr+6
Fr+6
It+6
Augmented 6th Chords
Augmented 6th Chords
When resolving the German Augmented 6th chord,
to avoid consecutive 5ths (called Mozart 5ths), it is
common to follow this chord with a cadential 6-4!
hi
Consecutive
5ths
Gr+6
V
hiWhy?
It+6
V
hi
Fr+6
hi
V
hi
The augmented 6th (A$-F#) sounds like a minor 7th (A$- G$), which is a
much more common description, but we still call it an augmented 6th:
•
Because augmented 6th chords resolve outwards: the A$ wants to
resolve downwards, and the F# wants to resolve upwards. G$ at the
top (instead of F#) would suggest a downward motion.
Gr+6
V
Gr+6
V 64
5
3
Example of German Augmented 6th Chord
1. Mozart’s Requiem - ‘Lacrimosa’ bar 8:
•
The phrase that begins on bar 5 (followed by many secondary
dominants) ends at bar 8 with a German Augmented 6th chord
followed by a cadential 6-4.
•
The tonic is D minor: and the second chord of bar 8 contains the
chord B$ - D - F - G# - this is a German Augmented 6th chord
•
Notice how the augmented 6th chord resolves outwards to a
cadential 6-4 in the next chord in order to avoid consecutive
fifths (between the basses and the tenors).
•
B$ of the chord (in the basses and bass instruments), resolves
downwards to A; and G# of the chord (in the sopranos and first
violins) resolves upwards to A.
Example of Italian Augmented 6th Chord
3. Mozart’s Piano Concerto 23 in A major - 1 movement bar 177:
•
Prior to bar 177 the music was in the development section and
moving through various keys (using the Cycle of Fifths). Bar 177
contains (albeit briefly) the chord: F@ - A (doubled) - D# - this is an
Italian Augmented 6th chord in the key B$ major.
•
Notice how the augmented 6th chord resolves outwards to chord
V - this brings about a dominant pedal section to herald the return
of the 1st subject in A major at the recapitulation (bar 198)
•
F@ of the chord (in the piano and the bassoon part) resolves
downwards to E; and D# of the chord (played as an F# by the
clarinets in A) resolves upwards to E.
Example of French Augmented 6th Chord
2. Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 in E major - 1st mvt bar 44 moving from
the 1st subject to the 2nd subject:
•
From Bar 37 to bar 44 the music is in the tonic of E$ major. Bar 44
contains the chord: G$ - B$ - C - E@ - this is a French Augmented 6th
chord in the new key B$ major (it has modulated to the dominant for
the arrival of the second subject). Appropriate to use the French
Augmented chord given the background of the symphony.
•
Notice how the augmented 6th chord resolves outwards to chord V
of B$ major in the next bar:
•
G$ of the chord (in the cellos, double basses and the bassoon part)
resolves downwards to F; and E@ of the chord (in the 1st violins,
clarinets and flutes) resolves upwards to F.