Understanding Augmented Sixth and Neapolitan Sixth Chords

[@jasonhwang3489]

As someone who wants to become a film music composer and hasn’t majored in the music field, your explanations really mean a lot to me. Sincerely, thank you Mr. Beato!

[@ancienbelge]

One of the most "wow" uses of the Neapolitan chord is the deceptive ending (Trugschluss) of the fugue of Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor for organ, BWV 582 by Bach. When you are certain the piece is pulling up to the final chord, all of a sudden you have a loud, sustained Neapolitan chord, then a pause, then the real ending comes.

[@Raikaska]

Just gave a listen. Tootally right my friend!

[@RicardoMarlowFlamenco]

9:57 he finally says what it is. All the others also are dominant chords with enharmonic misspelling for sake of voice leading. This harmonic move “predominant to dominant” is the basis of flamenco music, but it’s used as the main dominant to TONIC (ie G is the tonic not C). There is a Spanish Aug6 different than the others we use in flamenco where it’s your Ab7/F#...so we actually use the 3rd inversion to resolve UP to G.

[@maxvoloshin_nefariousaquarius]

It's like a substitution for a V/V. In this case, a substitution for D7. Notice that the guide tones (F# and C) are present in all of these examples.

[@tonyspada2744]

but what happened to the the b2 chord? his example is using a b6 chord in the analysis explanation.He clearly states a Neapolitan is a flat 2 chord like a tri sub. that i use in Jazz but then switches to a b6 as predominant. Did you notice this too?

[@csm120]

Man, Beato's channel is an oasis in the internet desert of politics, memes and cat pics!

[@christophermitchum6829]

Excellent, Rick! Nice breakdown of the subtle change in harmonic theory...👍

[@julian65886]

Best explanation on You Tube!

[@maryaliceroach]

You're saving my Music Theory 2 grade.... bless your soul!!! Quick shout out to my dad for introducing me to your videos!!

[@arcdelta4107]

You've got an awesome dad!^^

[@NickMcC]

Gosh I love Rick Beato. I don’t know a lot of other people who can talk at length about types of compressors AND Neapolitan +6 chords.

[@james.randorff]

My mnemonic for remembering and identifying these chords (when written in standard notation, not in figured bass) is to think of them as a Dom7 chord built on the ♭6, and then separate them as follows: • Italian is Incomplete Dom7 (R-3-♭7) • German is General, Garden Variety Dom7 (R-3-5-♭7) • French is Flatted Fifth or Dom7(♭5) (R-3-♭5-♭7) I know this doesn't line up perfectly with the figured bass analysis as altered IV6 or II64 chords, but as they normally progress to either the dominant chord or to the tonic 64 chord, it makes sense (in my mind) to view them as ♭6Dom7. ---------- My other way to remember the German from the Swiss (with traditional analysis, German contains the ♭3 of the key leading down to the fifth of the dominant chord, while Swiss contains the ♯2 of the key leading up to the third of the tonic 64 chord) is that Swiss Cheese is Sharp, hence the ♯2.

[@Coolguy8623]

Sick man i didn't know about the swiss spelling one thanx !!

[@pebberbrown]

This is the best explanation of this on the entire internet, the world and on other planets as well. When those aliens come down here to Earth and need to consult someone on the variations of sixth chords they need to go see Rick Beato. He can set their sorry asses straight.

[@RickBeato]

Haha! Thanks :)

[@andreasfriedli7419]

Pebber Brown, Smile....it is always voice leading. Clare Fischer through all of his compositions showed it. We here learned the old way which is still the Best.

[@cacauceluque]

Yeah! Beato is a great teacher!

[@atheno892]

You just got Beato'd

[@MusicalMali]

VERY clear! I'm studying for entrance exams and trying to clean out the cobwebs that are 10+ years old. You helped me do that and more! I think I understand this better than ever. Thank you!!

[@crimfan]

Salad dressing chords! I totally didn't understand them back when I took music theory, but now I guess the way I see them now having watched this video as a tritone substitution for the V--of-V because the tritone is the same as what you'd want to resolve to the V. It's a nice explanation for why one might use a 7b5, though. I like playing these notes on a bass or playing a bass line on a guitar, which gives really solid half-step motion.

[@bohnulus]

i love mr Beato. my fav is the FRENCH +6, love your re-clarification.... its just the iv min with raised root... Thank you!!!!!!! it is a PREDOMINANT when i see it like that now!!!!. i love mr beato

[@ArthlecMann]

Rick these are treasures to any musician. Thank you.

[@agy04022761]

today, after two months of viewing all the stuff, i have to look for some brainspace to store. Rick- thank you for educating & rock on, Andreas

[@StringMachine]

For me as a rock guitarist an absolute eye-opener! Thanks a lot!!

[@1122445]

Mr B you are an inspiration to me. I salute you...

[@cutchmaster]

The Cm section has a iv65 (Fm7/Ab) which presents a problem with the aug2 in the soprano (Eb to F#). The iv6 as stated would solve that problem. Also, the B natural needs to resolve to the C in the alto on the final chord and the tenor resolves to a C. This will mean that the final chord will have 3 root notes and the soprano will have the Eb (3rd.) The solution to all these issues would be to have the F-F#-G in the alto.

[@pianodudeler]

These are often heard in a row to emphasise a climactic cadence - I remember that sound and the progression as I For-Get.

[@cacauceluque]

Excelent explanation! Crystal clear! Thank you very much!

[@JariSatta]

Neapolitan 6th takes the cake !

[@dzogten]

@5:17 you said 6/4 means second inversion, then @5:30 you said 6/4 means first inversion. Other than that this video is awesome! Keep up the excellent work!

[@kwadwoo5423]

Got confused too. The second was a mistake.

[@thierrycourteille3934]

Best Ever Accessible Theorie Over the world

[@johnhuldt]

I hear these in Beethovens piano music a lot :)

[@leophoenixmusic]

I just don’t think anyone else in the world could explain this as well as you do

[@DKjazzguitar]

From a jazzer's ear, I've always thought Italian 6th felt like a bVI dominant 7 without a 5th degree. Like wise, French 6th feels like a dominant 7b5 chord, and German 6th like a bog standard dominant chord. These sounds can all be found in jazz, for instance in a minor jazz blues. The devil is in the details. Namely, the augmented 6th chords are enharmonicly spelled differently, but most importantly, the augmented 6th chords resolve differently than their "dominant" spelled counterparts. That's why we spell them funny, because of their funny resolution.

[@bernardweisblum2060]

Oscar Cat 🐱

[@Gnurklesquimp]

I remember this stuff being very confusing when I just looked up how to stack intervals and then just using those chords by ear

[@biernut5702]

That's right, it's just a D7b9#11. Each of the three different types contains C & F#, the two defining notes of D7. That's why they resolve to G. The French one has the D and the German one the b9, Eb.

[@Butts666]

Yeah I was just wondering why even have the term "german aug6 chord" when it really just looks like a V/V. Then I figured it's probably because a V/V is expected to resolve to the V, which this little bugger doesn't.

[@WhiteTreeRightful]

To me the German+6 always looked like a Tritone Sub for the V chord, or a bII7/V

[@AlexBrogan96]

Sounds like the Germans were hip to tritone subs.

[@dremovremen1764]

I think the easiest way to nail aug6 is just to play a dom chord without the 5th, and with the tonic of the scale you're in as its 3rd note. E. g. G Dom (skip 5) chord will be Ita 6 chord of B min scale.

[@RicardoMarlowFlamenco]

N6 chord always gets over complicated. It’s just a minor 4 chord (iv+) with augmented 5th. Works in minor or major keys the same way.

[@thegreatmadhatter668]

Just coming here from your stream, this video is amazing! Thank you so much for explaining it so well.

[@francospadi1732]

Great video as usual! Greetings from Italy!

[@zakiahart3919]

I have a music theory pre entrance exam comming up!These will be on the test. Thanks for this info

[@threnodymusic552]

in the Geman +6 section we labeled the Ab-C-D#-F# to I as double augmented chord, and the Eb version to V as German +6

[@rogerramjet6615]

A couple of points on the N6 chord. Although it is derived from the minor key, it was often used in the major key as well. The diminished 3rd move from the D flat to the B (3rd of the V chord) is very idiomatic and usually displayed in the top voice. This move from N6 to V, creates a false relation between the D flat and the D but this is totally acceptable in this case.

[@gjtube37]

Thank you for this excellent lesson!.

[@beelm]

In the fisrt examples it might be good to play the scale once though before the chords so we can get an idea of the sound in context. The way it was it just sounded like a chromatic movement to chord I rather than +6 to V

[@mark-ze4en]

perhaps an over simplification for memorizing the usage or scale asssociation of A6 chords,for me at least, is to think of it in terms of major scale verses minor scales where in the minor scales the A6 chord is a naturally occurring chord( albeit modified for the different forms) but is not naturally occurring in a major scale . Hence the reference to the A6 is merely a theoretical mnemonic device that identifies it's scale position within a Major scale similarly as the naturally occurring A6 in minor since the A6 is enharmonic to a b7 interval. Both major and minor scales resolve to V generally but the harmonic inference is different.

[@gautamkarnik9450]

Wonderful explanation!

[@Coolguy8623]

Rock n Roll man !!

[@pedromartins6904]

Another brilliant lesson as usual! I just wonder in what chord voicings would you apply this to guitar. Please do a video on that as well.

[@freddymunguia9810]

Dear Rick, @ 12:45 there's an intruder in your iv6 chord, unless you meant iv65. Love your videos, happy holidays!

[@freddymunguia9810]

Also, Rick, I have always known the enharmonic German Sixth (with the #2 instead of b3) as Swiss Augmented Sixth and I find that very useful to differentiate the Ger+6 in major and minor modes (In major mode the Swz+6's #2 goes to 3, and in minor or modal exchange the b3 remains the same). With that being said, you should explain in another video the common-tone diminished seventh chord (#2 - #4 - 6 - 1 that resolves to 3 - 5 - 5/1 - 1) which I also have always known as Raised Supertonic Diminished Seventh and have found that this notation is so much more useful than common-tone diminished seventh (as it can be used for many modulations as another option for the diminished seventh chord). There's also the fifth grade common-tone diminished seventh (#6 - #1 - 3 - 5 that goes to 7 - 2 - 2/5/4 - 5) which, as you may have already guessed, can also be notated as Raised Submediant Diminished Seventh. I hope you see my comment, haha.

[@RickBeato]

Freddy Munguía This was the primer video for college students that need to pass their theory test :) did I leave out the 5 in the iv65 chord? I made the video at midnight last night :) I will do a more detailed video on the historic origins of the individual Aug 6 chords and some more examples from actual pieces.

[@freddymunguia9810]

+Rick Beato I think it's just a typo, you wrote a Eb on the soprano instead of an F, which makes it a minor seventh chord first inversion (iv65) instead of just minor first inversion (iv6).

[@RickBeato]

I played it correctly in my example which I recorded first it was just pointed out :)

[@pymebones]

@@freddymunguia9810 Rick Beato oh man thank god you clarified this, I was so confused. Thanks for your videos, Rick, and thanks Freddy for pointing out the typo. I thought I was going crazy.

[@andresnino5849]

Great video thanks!

[@stephenmichael7010]

kul nice detailed clear explanation

[@gilregev4823]

another aspect : the Aug 6 is the secondary fifth of the Neapolitan Ab7 = V7/N = V7/bII

[@severinodeltoro1837]

thanks for the good video. greetings from germany

[@MegaPiano2010]

Great explanation. However, just a little correction. You call a I 64 both a 1st and 2nd inversion at different times. Thanks for your help

[@mtgramza]

Yeah, Rick first called it a 2nd inversion major triad, which, I believe, is correct. Then I think he just misspoke thinking 2nd inversion but saying 1st inversion. Simple mind-mouth mixup. For a C major triad, in 2nd inversion, considering the bass note G, you'd have a 4th (C) and a 6th (E) above it. Rick is brilliant!

[@georgeanthony4834]

My head hurts!

[@MrVesperatu]

Rick! Another amazing video. So my only question is this: why not just call these chords Ab7 and/or Ab7(with a flat 5)? Seems like were just doing a Ab7 (possibly with a flat 5) as a passing chord on the way to G7. No?

[@gabrielmahutasoit8953]

The naming would be kinda wrong tho, although the function is the same, as the dominant tritone subs of V7/V. The aug-6th chord is derived from minor 4th chord, inverting it to the first inversion, then raise the root (for example, F) by a halfstep (F#), making it as the tritone of the main tonic (C-F# is a tritone (more precisely, augmented 4th), NOT a diminished fifth in a normal dominant chord, classically. And in the case of Ab major, F is its sixth note, and raising it halfstep = making it aug-6th (the same as m7, the last component of a dominany 7th)

[@TheyBenefit]

Italians love economy lol. I think I finally hit the point in music theory where my mind gets muddled like other subjects.

[@rogerramjet6615]

A good video, however you have a couple of little mistakes. I think they are verbal typos but to avoid confusing beginners I will point them out. In the first example you referred to the I 6/4 chord as a first inversion, as I'm sure you are aware a 6/4 chord is a second inversion because it has the 5th in the bass. In the C minor example, you started with the IV chord (F minor) but you had the flat 7 (E flat) in the top voice instead of an F. This would create an augmented 2nd leap in the top voice. You did play the F. An interesting point about the Ger6+ is that, though it is acceptable to move directly to the Dominant, it is impossible to avoid consecutive 5ths. (these 5ths are actually allowed in this case) This is why many composers prefer to interpolate the Tonic 6/4 here. I think that the final cadences would be stronger if the leading note moved to the Tonic. You did ameliorate this in the first example by inserting a flat 7th crotchet right before the Tonic. This is a device which Bach nearly always used when his leading note didn't resolve as it distracts the ear from the leading note.

[@Svm777]

Great video, Rick! There's just this little annoying sound on the background on some parts of the musical examples. It's a crackling noise, maybe a gorgeous fireplace? haha

[@RickBeato]

It's a little distortion from the mic. Sorry! I need to turn down the record level to he camera a bit.

[@adamaayan]

I'm studying in a music school and those chords seems to appear every now and than. I was always wondering what they really are. You are awesome Rick. Now only one questions comes in mind. Are these all the country's than relate to chords or are there any else?

[@colmivers]

Andulcian cadence... assuming andalucia is place

[@fourtreemouths]

I've been playing around with these chords a bit today, and while constructing 7th chords on steps of different scales, I found that a tertian tetrachord built on the 7th scale step Neapolitan Major (aka Phrygian Melodic) (1 b2 b3 4 5 6 7) results in a chord that sounds like a augmented dominant 7th chord in 3rd inversion (7th on the bottom) but because of the spelling (much like in the Double Harmonic Major Scale) the chord almost resembles a German +6th chord, except, using Rick's "cheatsheet formula" instead of (b6 - 1 - b3 - #4) it would be (b6 - 1 - 3 - #4) that natural 3 leads nicely to the 4th scale step which is the b7 in a V7 chord, so it's nice voice leading. I'm wondering, does anyone know if that's a type of Augmented Sixth that isn't discussed here? or can I claim it, dubbing it the Samoan +6 chord? Seriously though (other than that last part) (P.S. The other ways I've analyzed said tetrachord are as follows. I'll use E. E-half diminished 7 sus2; E-half diminished 7 bb3 ; F#+ 7/E .... none of those seem very logical other than the last one except in the Neopolitan Major scale, its spelling doesn't work.)

[@NelsonRiverosMusic]

Hi Rick, still not quite understanding the Aug. 6th. In your example, is it an Ab maj triad with the interval of an Aug, 6th, F# above the root? You said C is the I or the tonic. ? I understand Ab is the b6 of C. Just not sure what chord it is.

[@julessmoquina6258]

Would love to see a discussion of Contrapuntal Analysis notation vs current chart notation with some historical time line of their usage. Does Jazz follow counterpoint rules? Rock uses a lot of Parallel Fifths and Octaves etc. In any case thanks for the high level of Music Theory you present.

[@crimfan]

Caveat: I play jazz guitar and bass (at least on good days I tell myself that); I only had a bit of education in classical harmony. Hopefully someone will correct my fallacies and/or botched explanations! Jazz uses a lot of chromatic voice leading, half step neighbor tone kinds of things, either from below or above. It's very oriented a lot of key changes that would be pretty surprising in a classical context, but often makes sense considered from the Circle of Fifths or, equivalently, as chained together subdominants or ii-V-I or Vsus-V-I type things, with the occasional substation or modulation from nowhere (see the last example). It's got voice leading rules but they're maybe halfway between classical and the relatively nonexistent ones of rock. This often ends up with parallel motion but it's really oriented around the guide tones, with the parallelism being mostly a byproduct of different substitution patterns. It's usually most evident in the bass. If you look at a tune like "Sweet Georgia Brown", it's really apparent. This is really just the Circle of Fifths. In the key of G major: (E7 x4) - (A7 x4) - (D7 x4) - (Gmaj7 -D7 - Gmaj7 - B7) being the first 16 bars, often with a few extra ii-of-V chords thrown in at the player's or arranger's discretion. You could just as well think of them as suspensions. The second 16 bars are the same first eight then (Emin - B7 - Emin - D7) with the turnaround having half measure harmonic rhythm (G7 F#7 F7 E7 A7 D7 G6). (Look at a chart and it'll be apparent.) The turnaround is planing dominant chords down by half steps. This also follows the Circle of Fifths, with the G7 being a sub for C#7 and the F being a sub for B7. On a bass or playing walking bass on a guitar I'd mostly follow the chords by playing arpeggios but would typically either work out the arpeggios to lead up or down to the relevant target notes. So in the first four measures I'd probably play E7 arpeggios making sure I ended up on the harmonic approach G# just before the A or using the tritone sub and playing a Bb as a chromatic approach from above. On a guitar I'd mostly worry about how the tritones connect up, but if I was doing walking bass I'd want those same approaches. A more modal tune will often have a lot of parallelism but when you squint at it it feels like it follows voice leading. A tune like "Recorda-me" by Joe Henderson has a Latin modal front half (Amin9 to Cmin9). Planing up a minor third has kind of a weird resolution to it which I can't fully explain but I guess works because it feels like you're going from C major to C minor. The back half is bebop, when it goes through a ii-V sequence of Bbmaj7-Bbmin9-Eb7b9 down to Abmaj7-Abmin9-Db7b9 down to the tricky Gbmaj7-Gmin7-C7b9-Fmaj7-E7#9. Getting the voice leadings to work out on that tune is a challenge and the bass line on the front half feels quite different than the back half as a consequence. I usually do Latin root-five kinds of stuff in the front half and then switch to keeping the changes pretty strictly outlined in the second half, with a lot of roots and chromatic approaches. That song is more about the rhythm, though.

[@odiajulius2349]

If Rick (my hero) will permit me to reply on this .................I would say Jazz progressions usually moves with the p4( Perfect 4th) as against classical and rock which usually moves in p5 ( Perfect 5th)! As for counterpoint, Ill leave that to RIck! Counterpoint is one of the most often misunderstood concepts and I think I hear traces of it in Big bands horns arrangements

[@julessmoquina6258]

Thank you crimfan and odia for your responses. I felt bad right after posting the question in that it might be not on the level Ricks site addresses. Figured Bass was exactly what I had in mind when I referred to Contrapuntal Aanlysis. As I recall from taking Theory Classes in 1980 at LA City College, Figured Bass notated what Inversion of a chord was being used thereby also voicings and movement. Musicians new what to play just from that. (One way to avoid parrallel 5ths and octaves was to use inversions I think?) As a blues and rock guitarist I always wanted to know what Jazz musicians knew and now I am finally getting around to it at 73. Thanks again.

[@odiajulius2349]

Hi Jules! Figured bass is easier than you think ! (It used to scare the shit out of me way back in the past and you will have a good laugh when you discover how easy it is) . Here are the Rules simplified: 1.Make sure you can read music on the Bass staff 2. Whatever figured bass you learn is taken from the root shown on the staff not from the root of the anywhere else 3. Learn to see the intervals as they appear (space then line or vice versa) and then build your chord from there-making sure you count the number from the bottom up EXAMPLE look at a Chord of C in 2nd inversion , your 1st note is G and the next is 4 steps away from G ( c) and the next is 6 steps away from G (E) hence the name 6/4 ........ 4. You may later want to Convert the result into solfa or chords as you wish for a stronger reinforcement

[@nirgoth]

Why is it that in the second example of the Italian augmented sixth you double the Ab instead of the C? Doesn't really make a difference, but I was wondering since you really emphasized about doubling the C in the first example

[@baronvonbeandip]

So it's basicially an +7 chord without a 3rd, with a 2nd, or with a b3rd that prepares the dominant chord below it.

[@lukasschmied420]

So as I unterstand the augmented 6ths as Double-Dominants, every version seems basically to be a Sub V of V.... Labeling the Italian as subV7/V without the 5th, French as subV7/V with b5 and the German one as subV7/V... For myself, I try to unterstand and keep things as simple as possible.... and that seems the easiest solution for me... Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romance, Jazz.... They basically did the same things, they just called it in other ways... The Neapolitanean, as it is used here, I would understand as IVm wirh b6 instead of 5... so the Basic Cadence would still be IV V I If I'm wrong, please correct me

[@manny75586]

German sixth is my favorite thing.

[@alexmwesa]

Got it one time Thanks

[@mysteriev7071]

actually I 6/4 is second inversion. I 6/3 is first.

[@dmytrognativ2163]

Thank you for this incredibly useful video! I have one question. So, in major scale it's - flat 6-1-#4, but in minor scale it's natural 6-1-#4. Isn't it? And Ger+6 in minor scale is natural 6-1-nat3-#4? Is it right? Because in examples I don't see lowered 6th and 3rd degree in minor scale. Thank you!

[@alexshmalex455]

so Addictive Keys, Rick? :) Great vid

[@camsolo2024]

Ah. So the Aug 6 chord is borrowed from the Neopolitian Scale. I was trying to figure out what scale it fits in, by thinking it was a lydian b6 scale 😅

[@sagarkapoor9892]

Hi Rick, in girl from ipanema, the modulation from F to F# through a C#7 is using the same concept...i think the C# is the german 6 of F and also 5 of F#. Is it?? Your video has really helped me a lot, unless I am totally wrong about this...:P

[@kiren3168]

Sagar Kapoor yes its an easy way to modulate a semitone higher

[@ericrakestraw664]

14:32 - B natural magically appears.

[@marooned6052]

22:35 all you need to know

[@marooned6052]

actually i confused the augmented and neo as the same thing. are the augmented ones from the gypsy minor scale? would appreciate it ty

[@marianemaxilom7342]

thank you :)

[@ghettomaistor]

Sorry when you say I 64 don’t you mean V64 which is the 2nd inversion of the tonic ?

[@joskun]

I like the french and neo one hehe

[@joemarta397]

In the example of the French 6th, what would happen if the f were to be natural? and is there a specific name for it?

[@Cherodar]

That would be a iiø4/3, i.e. a half-diminished seventh chord rooted on scale degree 2, in second inversion.

[@trottheblackdog]

Undone by The Guess Who is loaded with French +6 chords! In the modern parlance I guess they'd be bVI7s.. but hey...

[@alej3795]

F#dim7 is predominant chord in this case -from 4th degree- rising a root of Fdom7 chord by a half step (flat9 sub).The same way we get aug6 chord- Italian from Fmin; German from Fmin7 , and French from Fmin6 ?

[@GeorgeZwierzchowskipianomusic]

its basically a tritone substitution for a V of V. ;)

[@christopherthomas3728]

all these educated comments and all I'm just doing is realizing the glitch on time stamp 21:00(haha)

[@dhruvalance1323]

I love your videos, but this time you made it very complicated! I have years of watching you and I have the most respect for you and your classes, but It looks you are figuring out as you teach it, really. And you got it a little late because you realised it was a Plain V7(b5) chord. And you should see it that way and teach it that way because that's really easy. And also is more aligned with the way we see harmony today, so... this is my input to you: The easiest way to think of it is That the Root is bVI and the chord is bVI7. ITALIAN is just a Jazz Shell of: bVI Root, Maj3, b7th. FRENCH is: bVI7(b5) Root, maj3, #11, b7th, SIMPLE. GERMAN is a plain simple V7 Chord built on the bVI: Root, maj3, 5th, b7th. THE MORE NATURAL SOURCE SCALE IS LYDIAN DOMINANT NOT WHOLE TONE SCALE. The chord is not inverted, the true root is the bVI, and THE MAIN DIFFERENCE WITH ANY OTHER DOMINANT is that THE b7th resolves UP a halfstep to the root of the V. You said it resolves down. That is why is called an augmented 6th, the augmented resolves up, the b7th resolves down, like FA to MI or ME. so in summary, bVI Augmented chord is a Lydian Dominant from the melodic minor scale used to approach the V from a halfstep above, you just need to resolve the b7th up and the root down, the 3 versions are: Italian bVI7 (root /3/b7th shell), French is bVI7(b5) , German is plain bVI7 chord. They all 3 come from the IV of melodic minor scale called Lydian Dominant. The Neapolitan is not always used in first inversion, it has been used classically also a lot on root position. That's way simpler don't you think?

[@colmivers]

But it's not a plain V7. Same way all neapolitan chords are phrygian 2 but not the other way around. The german Aug6 is a very specific approach and resolution, specifically in terms of voice leading. I think the problem is that jazz folk never think in terms of voice leading but purely in chord function (not a bad thing, just a thing)

[@dhruvalance1323]

colm ivers the Jazz Folk? Do you think Jazz does not know about voiceleading? What an ignorant association. All music is actually the same, it is just that you really don’t know it yet until you really got it.

[@AmandaKaymusic]

I must be missing something. I like rules to have reasons. It makes them easier to remember. Maybe my theory is missing a link here. It is the six letter name in the chord scale. Which just makes me query why wouldn't the b6 be called a #5.

[@colmivers]

Because theres already a fifth degree and its leading towards it... I mean you're right it is actually a sharp 5 for all intents and purposes. Just formal diatonic spelling makes it an Aug 6

[@Arycke]

17:20 B o o m

[@CowmanCowman]

I'm just here to hear the voice clips from the meme video

[@GelatinSkelet0n]

What meme video lol

[@james.randorff]

Hi, Rick! Merry Christmas! If I may nitpick your example a little bit: At around the 13:00 mark, your whiteboard example has a iv6 progressing to It+6 in the key of Cm. • With the spelling you have of the iv chord, it is an Fmin7/Ab, which would be iv65. • Your Soprano and Alto voices contain a parallel dissonant (min 7th) interval. This could be avoided by spelling the iv6 chord without the seventh and doubling the tonic (A♭-C-F-C), moving to It+6 spelled (A♭-C-F♯-C), then progressing to V (G-B-G-D), as It+6 doesn't voice lead nicely to i64. The above aside, thank you for sharing your years of experience with us all. I watch one of your videos almost every morning and I learn new things from you every day. Cheers! ---------- EDIT: When you played these, you put the root of the iv6 in the Soprano, so what was on the board was probably just a mistake. Also, I liked the sound of the played example.

[@RickBeato]

The played was correct, the board was a mistake. That happens once in a while when I try to finish a video late at night. I played the examples in the studio first then wrote that wrong after. Oh well :)

[@goranturborn5895]

Rick Beato Great video, very informative and fascinating! One thing though, the final resolution from V7 to i (at 13:00) has all four voices move in the same direction which traditionally is to be avoided. Maybe there's an alternative solution...

[@goranturborn5895]

Perhaps if one instead doubled the C note of the first chord and went on? Like (bottom to top): Fm/Ab: Ab C F C It6: Ab C F# C Cm/G: G Eb G C G: G D G(down to F) B Cm: C(moving down from G) Eb G C This would screw up the soprano line at the end (G-F-Eb), though, but the voice-leading is a bit smoother.

[@anibalerak]

can you use altered or lydian scale on this chords? or which scale would be suitable for the harmony?

[@johntuccillo8182]

14:20 why is that an Eb not a C

[@mrpaolo1990]

very interesting. although i will hardly ever use it, watching it is still better than watching tv or stupid clips on yt

[@RickBeato]

It was actually a requested video!

[@tonyr.4778]

That top "F" in bar one looks alot like an "Eb" (14:00)

[@songfulmusicofsongs]

It makes a Fm7 chord...

[@alfonsoperdomo4469]

Basically, these chords are variations of the Tritonal substitutes of the V/V, right?

[@joseph_burdock]

I was actually wondering the same thing?

[@colmivers]

Yeah but in a classical way so it's more about the voice leading

[@leophoenixmusic]

Just one Question: Would any of this work if you based them off the Major IV chord instead of minor iv E.g. 6 - 1 - #4 I’m just wondering because, whilst in a minor key, the iv chord is diatonic; in a major key the IV is diatonic, soo would it have any particular theoretical effect? (I get that the b6 and #4 resolve to the 5 degree but, as I said, I was just wondering because of the differences in the diatonic IV/iv chords) Thanks ☺️

[@gabrielmahutasoit8953]

It'll just the same as V7/V (without the root), more precisely, using a #4 diminished triad. For example, in Cmaj scale, there is F and F(6/3) -first inversion-. Using the F(6/3) and raising the F by a halfstep gives us F#°(first inversion), which is the main dominant function of D7 (V7 of V)

[@joonasylanne]

Sounds like Finlandia.

[@joethebar1]

Rick is smart but there are some smart cookies in the comments section that we could learn from as well

[@ParsevalMusic]

Ahah Italy = Economy so true :))

[@aghaanantyab]

15:35 italian version sounds like music in classical era in 1700s, especially mozart's compositions

[@minemilx2702]

Lacrimosa am i right. Yes i am. and a lot of other stuff by him obviously.

[@RobertCharlesMann]

Hi Rick, you say many times that the 6/4 inversion is the first inversion, it is in fact the second inversion.

[@sc1ss0r1ng]

Thank you. I scrolled just to see if anyone else noticed. It really confused me at first.

[@hugobouma]

A lot of the information in the video is in the dangerous territory of "not wrong", i.e. providing multiple contradictory interpretations of the same thing right on top of each other. Yes, you can construct these chords from the tonic as b6-1-#4. You can also find the b6 first and construct 3 and #6 from there. You could call the #6 a b7 "because it is" but then it isn't again, but in fact it kinda is etc. There's even an argument to be made for the first-inversion borrowed-minor #1 interpretation but I do not want to be the one making it. And then, because you didn't mention it at all, you've got people in the comments wondering if it might be the same as a tritone sub of V/V. This theoretical equivalent of stamp collecting is going to bite a learner in the bum when they try to apply it in the real world. After getting so many terms thrown at me I feel I understand the concept /less/. Also yes, the Ger+6 often resolves to I6/4. You're not wrong. But *why* this exception? Again, this is not understanding, this is just shouting barely-related bits of theory.

[@McOuroborosBurger]

I like my Aug6 chords like I like my cheese. Swiss.

[@joethebar1]

They’re all basically 7th chords. Why not say that instead of taking the long way home?

[@baseket2ball12]

Hey Rick, at around the 20 minute mark when you're talking about GER+6 chords, I don't understand how C is the b3 of the scale. You say that we are in A minor (as the V7 is E and the i is A minor), but isn't the third scale degree of A minor already C? So the flat 3 would be C flat?

[@IamMusicSauce]

Since we see the minor scale in context of the major scale, we call the third scale degree of the minor scale a flat 3. It doesn't mean the 3rd is being further flattened.

[@АнтонКузнецов-и8ю]

f**k google with their ads!

[@craigbrowning9448]

It Had Better Been Tonight...

[@samlechiq8173]

I studied music too... and I think all these fancy names are confusing and unnecessary. The first chord (“Italian Chord”) should simply be called Ab7(b13) and the F# note should be a written as Gb instead. If you don’t want the fifth (Eb note) to be played you can simply write “No 5” above the chord name. Also, writing the middle C twice is confusing and erroneous, unless you have two different instruments playing each staff...e.g. the bass clef being played by one instrument and the treble clef being played by another instrument.... if this is simply a piano chart, the middle C written twice is a no-no. ...Makes no sense. The second chord (“French chord”) is simply Ab7(#4) in which case the 5th. would not be played anyway. Again, the F# should be written as Gb instead. The last one (“German chord”) is simply an Ab7... unless the Germans invented Dominant 7th. Chords which I highly doubt (sarcasm inserted). And again, the F# should be written as Gb instead. Imagine if all the countries in the world started calling chord names based on the names of their countries or cities? How would anybody else in any part of the world be able to read the music correctly? Universal chord naming should be used so as not to create confusion and make it easier for anyone around the world to understand them. Lastly, it is better to call the last chord C/G as opposed to I64 second inversion chord because if it was second inversion I64 it should G bass note and G-C-E on top.

[@sebastiandiaz29]

Thanks for your input, I was very confused with the double C written there. I have a noob question, Why does he say in the "German chord" that the flat 6 in a minor is F?, F is the flat 6 of a major A. shouldn't it be an e in this case?

[@bobross6180]

@@sebastiandiaz29 in the key of A major the 6th degree is an F# so they b6th would be F natural.

[@Blondesax]

Yeah, all those augmented sixth chords just seem like alternate V/Vs to me. They all could have the lydian dominant scale Ab Bb C D Eb F Gb, and they'd still be pre-dominants.